Texas Tech vs. Arizona: Big 12 Betting Picks and Preview

It starts with a ranked-ranked game between Texas Tech and Arizona. I took this Tech team to the national championship coming into the season, and unfortunately, they just really never put it together on either side of the football. Defensively, their best moments are all splash plays, pick sixes. And offensively, there's just no rhythm out of Hammond. They're saying today that Tommy Castellanos is going to play, but I don't know if they're saying he's just going to start, right? It's just that they're going to play two quarterbacks here. Seems pretty bold out of Texas Tech. They're on a 2QB system in the biggest game of their season. Three and a half point favorite here at home against Arizona. I lean Tech, I lean under. But this was one of those games you'll see guys like we'll reset the cards. I usually have about 10 picks today, about half that. This is a game that could have hit my card. I could have played the under. I didn't love it. I just, I don't know what to make right now of this Texas Tech group today. Yeah, this game, I tried to get it on my card. I actually was leaning Arizona, not to debunk your Texas Tech play. It didn't get to my card. I just, you know, Arizona won five straight, averaging 40 points per game with an average winning margin of 24. Obviously, they haven't played anybody great since losing to BYU in a game that they got outplayed against the Cougs. They just beat Iowa State 39-3. We don't know if Iowa State's any good. The mismatch that I'd like in this game, which is why I was leaning Arizona, is Arizona can score. Ninth-ranked passing unit in the country. And Texas Tech's pass defense is bad. They're bad. 126th in the nation. They've allowed teams to complete 70% of their passes against them. I just couldn't get there because this is also a bounce-back spot for Texas Tech. We talk about playing spots. Like, you lost last week. You lost to Cincinnati, who also has a big game today. You need this win if you're going to get to the Big 12 title game. This is like, your margin of error is gone. I like your under. I almost got there on the under. Then I looked at Texas Tech's defense. I almost got there on Arizona, and then I looked at the bounce back spot. Texas Tech, you mentioned the pick sixes, the 13 interceptions, five return for touchdowns. They still allow 260 yards per game in the air. They have a really good rush defense, so we'll see what they can do here. I like both these teams. I couldn't get there. I couldn't get it on my card, but this is a winner-go-home for that Big 12 title game. Both 6-1. You can't afford a second loss with how, I would say, top-heavy this conference is. Neither one of these teams is going to be competing, I believe, in the semifinals or later. You're not getting any Big 12 team in there, but I do think the winner of this game is sitting pretty to at least grab that spot. For me, you know, the Utah stuff's been pretty impressive. This is one of the interesting things. Gosh, I hate to do this. Man, whatever. The Big 12 is going to be a decent case for the 2014 playoff. Because I don't think that most of them are better than, I'll use LSU. LSU to me is like the perfect example of like all these debates we have on a yearly basis. LSU are going to win eight or nine games this year. And I think they're one of the seven or eight best teams in college. Like, Lane has just, you know, struggled to close the door in a couple of spots. They got, you know, Will Steind, and it just is what it is, right? But, do I think that Oklahoma State could beat LSU? I do. I do think that. Do I think Oklahoma State has a chance to get into a 12-team playoff? I do not. There's still a part of me that, like, doesn't even feel like any Big 12 teams are going to get in. I know, obviously, one will. Well, um... You know, the Big 12's, like, hoping they can be a multi-bid league. It's very funny that, you know, there was a moment where a Big 12 team that was ranked second might be like the worst of all of them in BYU. And I promise, like, that's not Notre Dame hating. It's in my interest to tell everyone that BYU are great. I just don't think BYU are great. I don't know. You seem to at least agree with that sentiment, though. So I'll, you know, you got to take what you get here as I, as I somehow you've, I feel like backed me into the 2014 playoff guy between the two of us. Like I, I am interested in seeing these Big 12 teams play and it's not going to happen this year, but I'm just saying I would be interested in seeing them play the Bama's and Ole Miss's and Texas's of the world.