NBA Postseason Best Bets (5/17)
Alex Christenson
The college basketball season is less than three weeks away, and here at FTN Bets we have you covered for what promises to be another thrilling year of upsets and incredible finishes. I will be taking you around the country with a betting preview of the major conferences. I recap the betting trends from last season, list projected starters, preview the season, identify a key player and reveal how I’m backing or fading each team.
Let’s start with the best conference in college basketball, the Big 12. Last season ended a three-year streak of Big 12 representation in the NCAA Championship game, including consecutive championships from Baylor (2020-2021) and Kansas (2021-2022). This year, the conference will add four new teams in Houston, BYU, Cincinnati and UCF. With 14 total teams, will we see a change with the top teams, or will the dominance of national powerhouses such as Kansas, Texas and Baylor be magnified further?
Let’s take a look at our betting preview for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
2023-2024 Texas Tech Red Raiders Betting Preview
Conference: Big 12
Head Coach: Grant McCasland (1st season)
2022-2023 Record: 16-16 (5-13)
ATS: 14-17-1
O/U: 18-12-1
Projected Starters: G Pop Isaacs; G Joe Toussiant; G Devan Cambridge; F Darrion Williams; C Warren Washington
It was a disastrous season in Lubbock, Texas.
Texas Tech had dreams of finishing inside the top three in the Big 12 conference yet started the conference schedule an abysmal 0-8, leading to a 1-10 start. Head coach Mark Adams was suspended after the regular season for racially insensitive remarks, which led to his immediate resignation.
However, there is now light with new head coach Grant McCasland. The former North Texas genius joins the Red Raiders after six superb seasons with the Mean Green. North Texas went an astounding 32-6 in Conference USA combined over the last two seasons, winning their first-ever NIT title over rival UAB, 68-61. McCasland recruited to his defensive vision, bringing in outstanding pressure defenders such as Joe Touissaint (West Virginia), Darrion Williams (Nevada) and Chance McMillion (Nevada). He also added a pair of Arizona State Sun Devils in Devan Cambridge and 7-footer Warren Washington.
Key Player: Darrion Williams
Powerful 6-foot-6 wings who shoot 36% from deep and can defend have long careers in the NBA. The Red Raiders landed one of the most underrated student-athletes in the nation with Darrion Williams. With a defensive, slower-paced approach in Lubbock this season, Williams is the perfect wing who does not need the ball to influence winning basketball on both sides of the floor. The Nevada connection is strong with McMillion, Cambridge and Washington all having Wolf Pack roots.
Projection: With only 34.9% of their minutes returning (and not many major ones), McCasland is going to have a challenge assimilating all the new faces around his unique system. But McCasland is one of the absolute true coaching difference-makers in college basketball, and I would expect this team to be very competitive throughout the season, despite playing in the toughest conference in the country.
How I’m Betting Texas Tech: North Texas was only 17-18-1 on the game totals last season, but 22-14 (61.1%) ATS. I am very excited to back McCasland’s team throughout the season, especially as a home underdog within the Big 12. The Mean Green were an impressive 8-5 ATS in non-conference matchups last season. I am going to be backing the Red Raiders many times this season.
