The March Madness in the NCAAB continues with this Big 12 Championship – 1st Round tilt on Wednesday, March 8, and here you can check out the best Red Raiders vs. Mountaineers betting pick and odds.

Texas Tech is looking to avoid the fourth consecutive loss when they meet West Virginia at Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO. The Mountaineers are -2.5 favorites on Bovada Sportsbook, while the total is set at 146 points. These Big 12 foes have faced two times this year, and on each occasion, the visiting team won.

Red Raiders fell short of Oklahoma State at home

The Texas Tech Red Raiders (16-15, 14-16-1 ATS) ended the regular season with three straight defeats, including the most recent one to the Oklahoma State Cowboys at home. The Red Raiders had a chance to force overtime, but Jaylon Tyson missed a three-pointer and the Cowboys celebrated a 71-68 victory. Texas Tech shot only 38.3% from the field, and even though the hosts made 14 triples, the visitors had some crucial stops and registered six blocks opposite the Red Raiders’ one.

Interestingly, the Red Raiders didn’t have a single player in double figures in this loss. The points were distributed very well among the starters and second unit; four players scored nine points. Senior forward Fardaws Aimaq got nine with team-high eight rebounds and De’Vion Harmon added nine points and game-high six assists.

Mountaineers beat Kansas State at home

The West Virginia Mountaineers (18-13, 16-15-0 ATS) went through a three-game losing run in mid-February but responded in time to conclude the regular season with a pair of victories. Following a tight road win over the Iowa State Cyclones, the Mountaineers beat the Kansas State Wildcats 89-81 at home. West Virginia scored 50 points in the second half and shot 50.8% from the floor, while the hosts forced even 20 turnovers.

Four of the starting five players combined for 84 points! Senior guard Erik Stevenson led the bunch with a game-high 27 points, five assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Kedrian Johnson followed him with 23 points, game-high six dimes, and game-high six steals, Emmitt Matthews Jr. had 20 points, game-high six boards, four thefts, and two blocks, while Tre Mitchell finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and two rejections.

Trends:

Texas Tech:

  • 6-13 SU in the last 19 games
  • 7-13 ATS in the last 20 games against West Virginia
  • 1-5 ATS in the last six games played in March

West Virginia:

  • 4-0 ATS in the last four games overall
  • 4-1 ATS in the last five games following an ATS win
  • 20-8 ATS in the last 28 Wednesday games

Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Pick

It’s going to be a tight clash, but the Mountaineers have been in better form lately and that’s why I am giving them an advantage in this one. West Virginia has been more efficient offensively this season; they are averaging 76.7 points per game opposite Texas Tech’s 73.7 points per contest. The Red Raiders have been stronger on defense, though, but I am still going with the Mountaineers’ offense to prevail here. Erik Stevenson scored 23+ points in each of his previous five games, and I am backing him to have another excellent showing and lead his team to the next round.

Pick: Take the Mountaineers at -2.5 (-110)

The Total

West Virginia scored at least 72 points in each of the last five games, mostly thanks to fantastic Stevenson, who has been on a tear recently. These rivals combined for 150 points in their latest H2H encounter, and I expect to see around 150 here as well. This one is likely going down to the wire, while I’d not be surprised if it goes overtime. Over is 4-1 in the Red Raiders’ last five neutral site games; Over is 4-1 in the Mountaineers’ previous five neutral site games, while Over is 38-15 in West Virginia’s last 53 overall.

Pick: Go Over 144.5 points (-120)