Tonight, the Texas Tech basketball team returns to the court after over a week off following a frustrating 72-67 loss to Texas A&M in Fort Worth on December 8th. Now, it is time for the Red Raiders to lock in and work out any remaining kinks because Big 12 play is quickly approaching.
Counting tonight's game against Oral Roberts in Lubbock, there are only two contests left before the conference opener at home against UCF on December 31st. Thus, the Red Raiders had better start to figure out how to put their best game togther.
Of course, it would be a huge benefit if leading scorer and rebounder JT Toppin could return to action. Having missed the last two games with what is rumored to be a minor knee injury, he's been labeled as day-to-day by head coach Grant McCasland.
Without Toppin, Tech has gone 1-1 but the difference in the team has been noticeable. That was especially true against the Aggies.
That day, Tech was bullied in the post, which is where Toppin does most of his work. Tech lost the rebounding 37-35 that day but the most damage was on the offensive glass where Texas A&M had an advantage of 18-9. Certianly, the absence of Toppin, who averages 11.0 rebounds per game, would have made a difference on the glass in Fort Worth.
Even if Toppin doesn't play, Tech should be able to handle Oral Roberts, though. The Golden Eagles are just 3-7 on the season and 0-5 on the road. They have already lost games to Minnesota, Tulsa, Ole Miss, Belmont, Missouri State, Idaho State, and even some school named Rogers State. That's likely why the ESPN.com matchup predictor gives Tech a 98.9% chance of prevailing tonight.
Isaac McBride leads ORU with 16.3 points per game. He's a 6-foot senior from Little Rock, Arkansas. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles have no player in their regular rotation over 6-foot-8. They do have 7-foot-3 Mathok Majok on the roster but he averages only 5.0 minutes per game and has appeared in only four games.
So this game should be all about the Red Raiders finding a way to iron out any remaining wrinkles prior to Big 12 play. Still, Tech fans will want to tune in so here's all the game info fans need to know.
Texas Tech vs. Oral Roberts broadcast info
Tip: 7 p.m. Central
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Texas Tech Sports Network
Texas Tech vs. Oral Roberts series history
Texas Tech all-time record: 8-1
Last meeting: Tech won 82-76 last season on Dec. 12, 2023 in Lubbock
Texas Tech vs. Oral Roberts odds
Odds courtesy of FanDuel.com.
Favorite | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|
Texas Tech -27.5 | ORU +4000 | 148.5 |