Can Texas Tech Defy the Odds and Conquer the Ultimate Road Challenge?

Ever find yourself wondering why early-season college hoops feels like a mystery wrapped in an enigma? That’s the beauty and beast of it—teams are juggling new lineups, fresh plays, and figuring out who’s actually got game versus who’s just skating by on last year’s rep. Tonight’s matchup between Texas Tech and Illinois is a prime example of this unpredictability—and boy, does it come packed with intrigue. Texas Tech, ranked 11th, has cruised through their warm-ups with big wins but lost some key scorers who kept the wheels turning last season. Meanwhile, Illinois, sitting close behind at 14th, has been lighting up the scoreboard, but with a squad that looks quite different from last year’s tournament team. The line might be tilting heavily toward the Red Raiders, but road games early in the season? They’re always trickier than they look. So, who’s your money on when the dust settles at 8:30 ET? Here’s a thought—sometimes the underdog covering the spread is where the smart dough goes. LEARN MORE

Texas Tech vs. Illinois, 8:30 ET

One of the things that I like most about college basketball, especially in the early season, is that teams are a bit harder to predict. It can be difficult to know who is good, who is figuring it out/developing, and who you can actually rely on. I like the challenge, not that I don’t like when it is a bit easier later in the season. Either way, I like making money. Early in the season, you can be a little bit blinded by the little numbers next to a school’s name. This is a game that features two ranked teams as Texas Tech takes on Illinois.

Texas Tech is ranked 11th in the country and they have done a solid job in their first two warm-up games. They took down Lindenwood by almost 40 in their opener and they dropped Sam Houston by 22 in their next one. Last season went well for Texas Tech with them beating UNC Wilmington, then Drake, and then Arkansas in an overtime thriller, before dropping to eventual champions, Florida. In that game against Florida, the team lost by just five and gave the Gators a good scare. Overall, Texas Tech ended that season 28-9 which I’d say was quite productive losing in the Elite Eight. They do not have a super class of incoming freshman with just a couple of recruits that are of note. They did get some decent transfers, but again, nothing that I think truly pushes them over the edge. The biggest concern for the team has to be that they lost two of their best scorers from lat year. Sure, they have Christian Anderson still, but this team lost Darrion Williams, and Chance McMillian. JT Toppin, their leading scorer from last year is still around and off to a hot start.

Illinois is currently ranked 14th, and I think they have a good chance to remain ranked high most of the season. They opened their year with wins over Jackson State and Florida Gulf Coast. Clearly these were warm-up games but the team did what they needed two and blew out both teams, putting in 113 points in both contests. I know their offense won’t look quite as impressive against real competition, but it is encouraging for them to see the ball going through the basket so many times. This Illinois team will be a lot different from the squad that went 22-13 last season. They made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before they were ousted by Kentucky. They lost three of their main scorers, including team leader Kasparas Jakucionis. Tomislav Ivisic and Kylan Boswell are still in the mix and should give them stability. They have Andrej Stojakovic from a transfer, and their incoming freshmen are guard heavy.

The line has moved heavily in favor of Texas Tech. I think it makes sense to get involved with Illinois at this point, though. The team might night actually have the same talent level, and I like the Red Raiders offensive weapons. However, winning on the road is almost always the most difficult thing for an opposing team to do at any point in the season. Early in the season is even more difficult. I’m going to back the Fighting Illini to cover the short number here tonight.

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