The Texas Tech Red Raiders take on the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder, Colorado. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Texas Tech is favored by 5.5 points on the spread, and the total is set at 159.5 points.
Here’s my Texas Tech vs. Colorado prediction and college basketball picks for January 10, 2026.
Texas Tech vs Colorado Prediction
My Pick: Colorado +5.5
My Texas Tech vs Colorado best bet is on the Buffaloes to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Texas Tech vs. Colorado Odds
| Texas Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 159.5 -110o / -110u | OFF |
| Colorado Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 159.5 -110o / -110u | OFF |
- Texas Tech vs Colorado spread: Texas Tech -5.5
- Texas Tech vs Colorado over/under: 159.5 points
Texas Tech vs Colorado College Basketball Betting Preview
Texas Tech Basketball
Texas Tech travels to Colorado fresh off a game at Houston in which it nearly knocked off the defending conference champs for the second year in a row.
A win over Duke is buoying an otherwise soft NCAA Tournament resume, meaning the Red Raiders should be plenty motivated when facing off against a Buffs squad that was picked near the basement of the Big 12 in the preseason.
Colorado has defied early expectations by jumping out to a 2-0 conference start (albeit against two weak teams), and the Buffs are still alive for a dark horse at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They need to rack up quality wins, and a victory against Texas Tech would certainly qualify.
Colorado has one of the best home court advantages in the sport, and Tech ranks 354th in bench minutes. How will playing major minutes at altitude affect the favored Raiders?
Tech’s depth is light, but its starters are darn good. Christian Anderson and JT Toppin form arguably the best “bookend” pairing in college basketball, as both are off to All-American-caliber starts.
The offense runs through Tech’s studs – Anderson gets to create off a bevy of ball screens while Toppin either pops for a trey or sits his butt down on the block where’s he’s essentially unstoppable.
The Red Raiders are an excellent 3-point shooting team and that creates a ton of spacing for Toppin to work inside.
Double Toppin and you leave shooters open on the arc.
Colorado Basketball
The Buffs have been lockdown defending the rim this season and are among the biggest teams in the country, but Toppin is a different animal.
Colorado has been much better than expected because it has size and it rarely makes mistakes. The offense revolves around the paint, where Tech has been vulnerable this season.
Per CBB Analytics, Colorado ranks top-25 nationally in both field goal percentage and field goal attempt rate in the paint. Meanwhile, Tech ranks 292nd in field goal attempt rate allowed and 321st in field goal percentage allowed in the paint (so much for “no middle” in Grant McCasland’s “no middle” scheme).
Toppin is really Tech’s only big who sees consistent playing time, and he’s a bit undersized despite his length. Colorado can throw three guys on the floor at once that are 6-foot-10 and above.
If Toppin even sniffs foul trouble, Tech is in trouble and becomes even more reliant on Anderson.
Texas Tech vs. Colorado Betting Analysis
Colorado is an unassuming underdog, but don’t sleep on the Buffs.
This is a very hard place to play with little margin for error.
Given Tech’s depth issues and Colorado’s size, the Buffs have a real shot of landing a haymaker and starting 3-0 in conference play.
My Pick: Colorado +5.5
