The Texas Tech Red Raiders battle the Iowa State Cyclones this week in a game that will feature the country’s third-leading passer, Patrick Mahomes II (1,836 yards, 14 TDs). Texas Tech (3-2) has had its share of highlights this season, but has struggled in recent weeks, having lost two of its last three. The game kicks off Saturday, Oct 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be shown on FSN.
In last week’s matchup, Texas Tech struggled mightily against Baylor 63-35. Patrick Mahomes II had a huge game through the air in the loss, connecting on 32 of 50 pass attempts for 415 yards, three TDs and two interceptions. Zach Austin had a great game as well, adding 110 receiving yards and a TD on eight catches. Iowa State is hoping for another victory like last week’s performance, when it easily got past Kansas 38-13. Mike Warren had a great game running the ball for the Cyclones, rushing 18 times for 175 yards and two TDs. Allen Lazard also had a great game with 75 receiving yards and a TD on six catches.
Texas Tech is an 11-point favorite against the Cyclones.
With a 3-2 record for both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS), the Red Raiders will look to improve as they head into Week 6. A focal point of Texas Tech’s offense is its passing game, which ranks first in the country with 423.8 passing yards per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Red Raiders look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. The Cyclones will need to stop Texas Tech’s defense from stripping the ball. It ranks 18th in the nation in fumbles recovered with one per game. In the third quarter, Texas Tech is a tough test, putting up 11.6 points during the third frame. Special teams is a weakness for Iowa State that the Red Raiders may use to their advantage. On average, the Cyclones have allowed 117.5 return yards per game.
Over on the other sideline, the Cyclones head into Week 6 with records of 2-2 for both ATS and SU. Chances are Iowa State will rely on its passing attack against a defense that allows 308.4 passing yards per game, ranking 123rd in the nation. The Cyclones will look to put the ball in the end zone against a Texas Tech defense that allows an average of 15.8 points in the second quarter, one of the worst marks in the nation. The Cyclones may have no trouble keeping Texas Tech’s offense off the field. This season, the Red Raiders have had an average time of possession of 25:03 per game, ranking them 125th in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Texas Tech, ATS Winner – Iowa State
Notes
Texas Tech is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas Tech’s last 6 games.
Texas Tech is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas Tech’s last 5 games at home.
Texas Tech is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Iowa State.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas Tech’s last 6 games when playing Iowa State.
Texas Tech is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Iowa State.
Iowa State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas Tech.
Iowa State is 2-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Texas Tech is 3-0 SU when leading after three quarters.
Dating back to last season, Texas Tech is only 2-6 SU against Big 12 opponents, while Iowa State is just 1-7 SU against in-conference foes.
When analyzing just in-conference ranks, Texas Tech appears to have the overall advantage in the passing game. Its offensive passing attack (ranked first in the Big 12) will face the eighth-ranked pass defense of Iowa State, while its first-ranked pass defense will look to limit the eighth-ranked passing game of the Cyclones.
When analyzing just in-conference ranks, Texas Tech seems to have the overall advantage in the run game. Its sixth-ranked rushing attack will face the 10th-ranked run defense of Iowa State, while its sixth-ranked run defense will look to contain the 10th-ranked rushing game of the Cyclones.
