Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Vegas Play of the Day: Texas at Texas Tech

Oklahoma-Texas

L.M. Otero / AP

Oklahoma cornerback Zack Sanchez intercepts a pass in front of Texas wide receiver Jacorey Warrick and runs it in for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA football game at the Cotton Bowl, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014, in Dallas.

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We hereby interrupt your regularly scheduled NBA programming in the South Point-lined Play of the Day.

It’s back to college football in an effort to repair my $10,000 starting bankroll.

Texas Tech plus-4.5 vs. Texas: $440 to win $400

Texas Tech is the butt of a lot of jokes in college football recently. I can’t argue that the Red Raiders don’t deserve some ridicule.

Since a widely praised 7-0 start under coach Kliff Kingsbury last year, they’ve gone 1-9 straight up and 3-7 against the spread versus Big 12 opponents. Texas Tech has given up an average of 47 points in those games and the only win came against Kansas, which has the talent level of a mediocre Football Championship Subdivision team.

But a few laughs should be saved for Texas too. The Longhorns are just as inept. As bad as Texas Tech is defensively, Texas can match the incompetence on offense.

It’s barely in the top 100 in the nation at 4.9 yards per play. Getting shut out and held to less than 200 yards at Kansas State last week deserves as much scorn as Texas Tech giving up 82 points at TCU.

Despite the tried cliché extolling the virtues of defense over offense, I’ll often take the better offense in a game like this — especially when the offense is catching more than a field goal at home against a rival.

These teams are closer than the betting market implies. In Football Outsiders F/+ ratings, Texas is just percentage points ahead of Texas Tech at No. 67 to No. 68.

Standings: Bern (51-46-1, $11,156), Keefer (45-53-1, $7,641), Brewer (44-52-3, $3,755)

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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