Preview: Utah Utes at Texas Tech Red Raiders

LUBBOCK, Texas (Interstat) — The surging Texas Tech Red Raiders host the struggling Utah Utes in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball matchup Wednesday night at United Spirit Arena.

Texas Tech (12-4) enters on a strong note, having won five of its last six games. That stretch includes an impressive 82-81 road victory at then-Duke on Dec. 20 and a 102-80 conference rout of Oklahoma State. Most recently, the Red Raiders edged Colorado 73-71 on the road Saturday.

The Red Raiders are led by guard Christian Anderson, who is coming off a 40-minute, 15-point performance against Colorado. Anderson has been a consistent force, averaging 18.5 points and 6.5 assists over his last six games, including a 29-point, 6-rebound effort against Winthrop and a 27-point showing in the win at Duke.

Utah (8-8) seeks to halt a four-game skid, all in conference play. The Utes fell 89-84 to BYU at home last Saturday, despite a 25-point effort from guard Terrence Brown. Brown has been a bright spot during the losing streak, averaging 22.5 points per game over the last four contests. He posted 26 points and six assists in a loss to Arizona on Jan. 3.

The Utes have struggled defensively during their slide, allowing an average of 86.3 points per game in the four losses. Containing Anderson and a potent Texas Tech offense that has scored 80 or more points in eight games this season will be a primary challenge.

Texas Tech holds a distinct advantage in the season series, having won the last three meetings. The Red Raiders’ blend of high-scoring offense and home-court advantage, where they are 8-1 this season, makes them a heavy favorite against a Utah team searching for its first conference win.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. CST Wednesday. Texas Tech will host BYU on Saturday, while Utah returns home to face TCU the same day.