The biggest news on the college basketball front today comes from Austin, Texas, as Chris Beard, the head coach of the Texas Longhorns, has been arrested on a felony family violence charge and has been suspended without pay for the indefinite future. Texas had slipped to #7 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, and the news of their coach’s arrest undoubtedly influenced the team on Monday night, as unranked Rice took them to overtime in an 87-81 win. Beard’s accuser is his fiancee, and she told police that he strangled and bit her. Beard took Texas Tech to the finals of the NCAA tournament in 2019 and was brought to Texas to lift their program similarly, but it looks like he is a long way from doing that now. As you consider your NCAA Basketaball betting for Tuesday, let’s check out two promising matchups.
NCAA News: Top Basketball Picks for December 13
Eastern Washington Eagles (+16.5) at Texas Tech Red Raiders (O/U 134.5)
(8:00 pm ET)
Eastern Washington comes to Lubbock with just a 4-6 record – and just a 1-4 record on the road. Their last game was a heartbreaking 77-76 setback at South Dakota State. Eastern Washington led by eight, but then South Dakota State went on a 9-0 run to take the victory. Ethan Price had 16 points to lead the Eagles, and Casey Jones set a career-best with 15 points, and three other Eagles had double figures, but the offense went ice-cold at just the wrong time. The offense has been an issue, with the team shooting just 43% overall and 29% from three-point land. Eastern Washington is solid on the glass, winning the rebounding battle by 2.3 boards per game, but that shooting will need to improve for the Eagles to have a chance to cover.
Texas Tech (6-2) has a perfect 5-0 record at home. They have not played for almost a week because of final examinations, but they have a two-game winning streak that most recently featured a 78-71 win over Nicholls State on Wednesday. That made it 26 home wins in a row for the Red Raiders, but things were tense as Nicholls State led by seven at halftime and pushed the lead into double digits before the Red Raiders came back. Texas Tech did not have a lead at all until the game until under two minutes remained in regulation. Freshman Pop Isaacs led the team with 24 points, a career best, including five three-bals. Kevin Obanor chipped in 20 points as well. The Red Raiders emphasize defense, limiting opponents to 39% shooting combined from the field and just 22% from behind the arc, and they outrebound opponents by 6.6 boards per game. I see the first half starting slow as the team shakes off the rust, but Tech should pull away. Texas Tech to win and cover.
Portland State Vikings (+9.5) at Santa Clara Broncos (O/U 155.5)
(10:00 pm ET)
The Santa Clara Broncos (8-3) host the Portland State Vikings (5-5) on Tuesday in the programs’ first meeting wince 2017. Portland State won that game, 87-84, but they are the underdog tonight – although a line that started at 12 has shriveled since it opened. Portland State has beaten Oregon State twice this season, but they lost to Gonzaga by 24 and West Virginia by 18. Those aren’t awful losses, but they followed that up by getting demolished by Cal Poly, 72-49, despite being just a 1 ½-point underdog. The offense was worse than stagnant, as Isiah Kirby was the leading scorer with just a dozen points, and Cameron Parker (10) was the only other player in double figures. The Vikings average 81.7 points per game, though, so expect them to bounce back.
Santa Clara had a five-game winning streak going until San Jose State beat them on Saturday. The Broncos had been eight-point favorites, but despite 25 points and five three-pointers from Keshawn Justice, Santa Clara could not keep up. Brandin Podziemski leads the team in scoring but just had a dozen. Given the fact that Portland State has some impressive wins on their resume and had an off offensive night the other day, I think they keep this game close. Portland State to cover.
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