The Cincinnati Bearcats (15-12) take on the No. 16 Texas Tech Red Raiders (20-7) in Lubbock, Texas. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Texas Tech is favored by 6.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -280. The total is set at 142.5 points.
Here’s my Cincinnati vs. Texas Tech predictions and college basketball picks for February 24, 2026.
Cincinnati vs Texas Tech Predictions & Picks
My Pick: Cincinnati +5.5 (Play to +4)
My Cincinnati vs Texas Tech best bet is on the Bearcats against the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Cincinnati vs. Texas Tech Odds, Spread, Over/Under
| Cincinnati Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 142.5 -110o / -110u | +230 |
| Texas Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 142.5 -110o / -110u | -280 |
- Cincinnati vs Texas Tech spread: Texas Tech -6.5
- Cincinnati vs Texas Tech over/under: 142.5 points
- Cincinnati vs Texas Tech moneyline: Cincinnati +230, Texas Tech -280
Cincinnati vs Texas Tech NCAAB Picks for Tuesday
Cincinnati Basketball Betting Preview
Believe it or not, Cincinnati is one of the hottest teams in the country right now. The Bearcats have reeled in four consecutive wins, including a pivotal road win in Lawrence over Kansas.
Since January 1, Cincinnati sits at 23rd in Bart Torvik’s rankings and jumped to 46th in KenPom for the season.
Things have gotten even better for Cincy of late, as it sits 11th in Bart Torvik’s overall rankings and 30th in offensive efficiency.
The offense is the one thing that's held the Bearcats back from being a NCAA Tournament-level team all season, and it seems to have turned a corner in that area.
So, what's changed for the Bearcats to spark this offensive surge? They’re shooting 43% from deep over their past seven games. For most of the season, the Bearcats hovered around the 29-30% mark, so this sudden shift is a nice change.
The shooting centers around the trio of Jizzle James, Day Day Thomas and Jalen Celestine. James is connecting at a 42% clip from deep, while Thomas and Celestine hit at a 38% rate.
Plus, Cincinnati has one of the better interior duos in the Big 12. Moustapha Thiam, the 7-foot-2 sophomore, scored 15+ points in three straight games and put up 28 in the win over Kansas. His frontcourt mate — Baba Miller — is a real mismatch with his 6-foot-11 frame, paired with athleticism and passing chops.
On the defensive end, Cincinnati has been elite all season, ranking 10th in efficiency. The imposing length of Miller and Thiam limits opponents to 47% shooting from 2-point-range.
Plus, opponents are often limited to one-and-done trips, as Cincinnati gives up an offensive board on 26% of misses.
Texas Tech Basketball Betting Preview
This line would obviously be different if JT Toppin didn’t tear his ACL. It would likely be Texas Tech sitting as 10-11 point favorites instead of 5.5-point favorites against a team not projected to make the NCAA Tournament.
It’s just tough to know what the Red Raiders will look like against a real opponent without their All-American big man. Sure, Tech pounded Kansas State by 28 without Toppin, but that’s a team that looks like it quit over a month ago.
With Toppin, the Red Raiders often operated inside-and-out. Toppin would attract defenders and kick it to the perimeter to find scrambling defenders leaving a shooter. Without Toppin, everything starts and ends on the perimeter.
That could still be an effective offensive method thanks to Christian Anderson. He’s a sure fire All-American, leading Texas Tech with 19 points and 7.7 assists per game while shooting 44% from 3.
Next to Anderson, wing Donovan Atwell and promising freshman guard Jaylen Petty need to keep playing well. Atwell is shooting 46% from deep and Petty occasionally gets on a heater.
Grant McCasland really only has two bigs with Toppin out. One is LeJuan Watts, who could struggle with the length of Cincinnati’s bigs. The other is the uber-athletic shot-swatter Luke Bamgboye, who doesn’t add much on the offensive end.
The depth behind them is non-existent, meaning Watts and Bamgboye have to avoid foul trouble against the dominant Thiam and Miller.
How To Make Cincinnati vs. Texas Tech Picks & Best Bets
I’m not sure Texas Tech will feel Toppin’s absence on the defensive end much. He blocked a good amount of shots, but he got exposed on switches.
Bamgboye might be an overall better defender, but he’s strictly an offensive lob threat. That’ll force the Red Raiders to be a 3-point-or-bust unit.
I’m taking the points with the smoldering hot Bearcats. I know this is a prime spot for Texas Tech to quiet the detractors, and a letdown spot for the Bearcats. However, I’m just not very sold on the Red Raiders making much noise without Toppin.
In particular, they could really struggle with the length that Cincinnati's bigs boast. It’s tough to match against Miller at 6-foot-11 and Thiam at 7-foot-2.
I expect that to cause issues for a very short-handed Tech team.
My Pick: Cincinnati +5.5 (Play to +4)
