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TCU vs Texas Tech: prediction and projected score

We project Texas Tech 30-18, a 11.5-point margin with 47.7 total points; Texas Tech wins 77% of the time.

Matchup analysis

Our model projects Texas Tech 30, TCU 18 at Galaxy Stadium in Week 13. That is a solid edge: Texas Tech wins about 77% of the time by our estimate, with a projected margin of 11.5 points and 47.7 combined points. Tags: leans low scoring.

TCU is 3-4 against the 55th-toughest schedule so far, scoring 23.4 and allowing 13.9 points per game (+9.5 per game). Texas Tech (No. 13) is 6-1 against the 74th-toughest schedule so far, scoring 35.9 and allowing 20.4 points per game (+15.5 per game).

Expect TCU to find it hard going: Texas Tech's strong defense (26th) outranks TCU's below-average offense (85th of 139 in our opponent-adjusted ratings, worth about 24.7 points against an average defense). Texas Tech's strong offense (14th of 139 in our opponent-adjusted ratings, worth about 34.6 points against an average defense) meets TCU's strong defense (21st) — an even matchup on paper, so game script and turnovers will decide how many points Texas Tech puts up.

College football is noisy: even a well-rated projection misses the final margin by about 14 points on average. Based on how real results have scattered around our numbers, the final margin should land somewhere between TCU by 11 and Texas Tech by 34 about 80% of the time.

Texas Tech gets about 2.1 points for playing at home. Even on a neutral field the ratings would still favour Texas Tech by about 9.4. The game is on ESPN.

Market lines

Market lines · Source: The Odds API, ESPN, Action Network · Updated Oct 29, 11:25 AM UTC. Shown for information; not an input to our projections.

ProviderSpread (open → now)Total (open → now)Moneyline (TCU / Texas Tech)
ConsensusTexas Tech -16.555.5+625 / -950
DraftKingsTexas Tech -16.555.5+625 / -950

This game's lines: CollegeFootballData.com · read Oct 22, 6:37 PM UTC.

ProjectionMarginTotalTexas Tech win
Our modelTexas Tech -11.547.777%
Market consensusTexas Tech -16.555.587%
Blended projectionTexas Tech -1655.486%

Blended projection = 0.16 x our margin + 0.84 x the market margin, weights fitted on past seasons (see methodology).

Model vs market

Texas Tech win probability
model 77% · market (no-vig) 87% · difference -9 pts
Margin
model Texas Tech -11.5 · market Texas Tech -16.5 · difference -5.0 pts (Texas Tech view)
Total
model 47.7 · market 55.5 · difference -7.8

Model margin is 5.0 pts more toward TCU than the market.

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TCU vs Texas Tech: stat comparison

Basic
StatTCUTexas Tech
Points per game23.4#10135.9#26
Points allowed per game13.9#620.4#36
Yards per play6.24#536.14#56
Yards per play allowed4.59#85.69#74
Rushing yards per game129.6#120197.9#34
Net passing yards per game289.6#10215.9#80
Rushing yards allowed per game117.4#21125.4#29
Net passing yards allowed per game156.1#10274.0#132
Turnovers per game1.43#1301.29#122
Takeaways per game0.86#672.00#4
Sacks per game2.43#362.86#14
Sacks allowed per game2.86#1231.86#67
Advanced
StatTCUTexas Tech
EPA per play+0.01#112+0.09#66
EPA per play allowed-0.06#21-0.08#16
Success rate42.0%#7947.4%#28
Success rate allowed34.6%#838.6%#37
Explosive play rate11.1%#11014.0%#34
Explosive plays allowed8.5%#712.9%#91
Havoc rate13.4%#8214.8%#48
Havoc allowed13.5%#7516.6%#131
Points per scoring opportunity3.49#1124.14#64
Points per opportunity allowed3.80#663.40#33
Average starting field positionown 31#45own 32#22
Opponents' starting field positionown 26#20own 26#22
Offensive plays per game (pace)67.1#5767.4#55
Situational
StatTCUTexas Tech
Rushing EPA per play-0.14#138+0.10#54
Passing EPA per play+0.13#56+0.07#76
Rushing EPA allowed-0.04#31-0.08#20
Passing EPA allowed-0.09#25-0.08#28
Rushing success rate39.4%#11048.9%#22
Passing success rate44.1%#5345.8%#39
Run stuff rate18.1%#8518.1%#86
Passing-down success rate25.3%#12334.4%#35
Passing-down success allowed25.2%#1531.4%#98
Third-down conversion rate43.8%#4939.5%#88
Third-down rate allowed32.3%#1639.4%#78
Red-zone touchdown rate57.7%#9553.6%#114
Red-zone TD rate allowed58.8%#7061.1%#78

# = rank among 138 FBS teams. Efficiency numbers exclude garbage time. Per-play numbers of teams with a weak schedule are pulled toward their opponent-adjusted values (fully at one standard deviation below an average schedule). Source: play-by-play (cfbfastR / sportsdataverse), aggregated by us.

More: TCU schedule · Texas Tech schedule · all Week 13 projections

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Projections are statistical estimates for entertainment and analysis only. They are not betting advice and nothing here guarantees any result.

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