Texas Tech vs Iowa State Prediction 2/28/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Iowa State Cyclones meet Saturday in college basketball action from Hilton Coliseum in Ames. Here’s a Texas Tech vs Iowa State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Texas Tech vs Iowa State pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Texas Tech Red Raiders Betting Preview

The Raiders posted a pretty solid start this year. Texas Tech went 16-4 over their first 20 games out of the gate, then took consecutive losses to UCF and Kansas. Since then it’s been a nice 5-1 run though, featuring wins over West Virginia, Colorado, Arizona, Kansas State and Cincinnati. Over the first 28 games of the season that gives the Red Raiders a 21-7 record.

In the Cincinnati game on Tuesday the Red Raiders took an eight-point lead into the break 42-34. Texas Tech hit a 38-34 run the rest of the way, eventually powering out an 80-68 victory on their home court in the end. Christian Anderson led the team on 31 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists. LeJuan Watts added 13 points with five rebounds in 33 minutes of work.

Iowa State Cyclones Betting Preview

Over on the Iowa State side, they rattled off wins in each of their first 16 games during a thrilling start to the year. After losses to Kansas and Cincinnati, the Cyclones beat UCF, Oklahoma State, Colorado, Kansas State and Baylor. Since then it’s been a 3-2 run with wins over Kansas, Houston and Utah, giving the Cyclones a 24-4 run over 28 games so far.

Matched up against Utah this week, the Cyclones were entering the court in the second half with a 41-31 advantage. Iowa State kept it going the rest of the way with a 34-28 run and took the victory in the end on the road 75-59. Joshua Jefferson was tops on the team with his 21 points and six boards. Milan Momcilovic added 14 points with three rebounds in the victory.

Texas Tech Red Raiders @ Iowa State Cyclones Betting Trends: February 28, 2026

Why the Iowa State Cyclones will win

• Iowa State has won each of its last 12 home games as a top-10 AP-ranked team.
• Texas Tech has lost nine of its last 11 games against Top 5 AP-ranked opponents.
• Texas Tech has lost the first half in each of its last three games at James H. Hilton Coliseum.

Why the Texas Tech Red Raiders will win

• Texas Tech has won 12 of its last 13 day games against the Big 12 Conference.

Total Points Facts

• Each of Texas Tech’s last six day games against AP-ranked opponents have produced a total of 153+ points.
• Five of Iowa State’s last six games against Conference opponents have produced a total of 141 or fewer points.

Texas Tech vs Iowa State Prediction

I’ll lean toward the Cyclones but with a relatively thick line Texas Tech may be a more sensible play. Iowa State dispatched a struggling Utah team in a road matchup this week without too much difficulty. The Cyclones posted 47.5 percent shooting with a 38-26 advantage on points in the paint but did miss a few free throws (12-of-18 for 66.7 percent) and had 45.7 percent shooting allowed on defense. Iowa State is 3-2 in their last five games but two of those wins came versus ranked teams (Kansas and Houston) and they’ve scored 69 or more points in four straight.

As for Texas Tech, they blew past Cincinnati on Tuesday thanks to 51.9 percent shooting from the field and 80 percent (16-of-20) from the line along with a 37-23 rebounding edge. The Raiders are 5-1 in their last six games and they’ve scored 180 combined points in the last pair. This matchup should be a good one, and I could see either team pulling it off.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Iowa State Cyclones -7.5