NCAA Football Betting – Texas Tech Red Raiders at Texas A&M Aggies
The Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-0 SU, 2-1-1 ATS) are having a fantastic season, undefeated and still very much in the running for the national championship. On Saturday they take to the road, traveling to College Station to meet up with the Aggies of Texas A&M (2-4 SU, 1-5 ATS) in NCAA college football action in the Big 12 Conference, scheduled to take place at Noon ET at Kyle Field (natural turf).
Saturday, October 18
BetUS NCAA Football Betting Odds: TEXAS TECH -21, Total 65.5
Here are some of the NCAA college football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* TT has won its last eight games SU
* TT has won four of its last five road games SU
* A&M has covered one of its last seven games
* A&M has lost eight of its last 11 games SU
* A&M has played four of its last five games OVER the total
* A&M has covered one of its last six home games
* A&M has lost four of its last five home games SU
* A&M has played six of its last nine home games UNDER the total
Also….
* TT has won and covered six of the last seven meetings
* Four of the last six meetings have gone OVER the total
* TT has covered four of the last six meetings as the road team
There’s a bit of a character change around the Texas Tech ballclub this year. Don’t get us wrong; the Red Raiders still lead the nation in passing offense, rolling up 413 yards per game. But for example, Graham Harrell has 20 touchdown passes this year, and after six games last season, he had 28. Michael Crabtree had 70 catches and 17 TD receptions after six games in his freshman year; as a sophomore he has only 43 and 10, respectively, thus far.
It’s not that these guys are having a lesser year, but they are blending in with a more well-rounded attack – one that is actually running the ball, which is something one doesn’t expect out of a Mike Leach “Air Raid” team. The Red Raiders have been averaging 143 yards on the ground, and the carries have been distributed nicely between Baron Batch (404 yards) and Shannon Woods (382 yards). And there is no question about the fact that this running game has helped to protect Harrell, who has been sacked only once all season!
This has brought results, naturally. Texas Tech is ranked fifth in the latest coaches’ poll, and seventh in the AP poll. And although people had considered Missouri and Oklahoma to be the leading BCS contenders out of the Big 12, Leach’s team, along with Texas and Oklahoma State, are the undefeated contenders still standing. Of course, the tough stuff is yet to come, as Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma are upcoming, and all in a row.
A&M does not get a lot of pressure on the passer (7 sacks), and you have to worry about the ability to make Texas Tech one-dimensional when the Aggie stop unit is yielding 223 yards a game on the ground. This might be just fine if Jerrod Johnson could throw for 419 yards again, as he did against defenseless Kansas State last week, but can he?
Probably not. And even though this is a very big impost, we have seen poor home efforts from this A&M team, losing by 18 points to Miami, 14 to K-State, dropping another decision to Arkansas State, and squeaking by Army (21-17). We’ll be guarded about this, but still lay the 21 points with Texas Tech, the favorite in the BetUS NCAA college football betting odds.
