Iowa State vs. Texas Tech college basketball odds: Pop Isaacs, Fardaws Aimaq questionable as Red Raiders eye first Big 12 victory of season

One of the nation's biggest surprises this college basketball season is Texas Tech -- and not in a good way. The Red Raiders were a 27-win team last year and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament under first-year coach Mark Adams. While he did lose a few key players off that club, Adams added one of the nation's top transfers, Fardaws Amiaq. Texas Tech was expected to contend in the Big 12 again and was ranked 25th in the preseason AP Top 25. Yet the Red Raiders are a shocking 0-8 in league play and are 1.5-point home underdogs Monday at Caesars Sportsbook against Iowa State. Adams' club may be without two key starters: Amiaq and Pop Isaacs.

Joining Texas Tech as the only schools in the nation yet to win a conference game are: Louisville (0-10 in ACC), IUPUI (0-11 in Horizon), South Carolina State (0-6 in  MEAC), Evansville (0-12 in Missouri Valley), VMI (0-10 in SoCon), Pepperdine (0-9 in WCC) and New Mexico State (0-9 in WAC).

Texas Tech snapped an eight-game losing streak Saturday with a win in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, a 76-68 victory at free-falling LSU. The Red Raiders played without Isaacs and Aimaq due to injury. Both are day-to-day. The freshman Isaacs averages 11.6 points per game and leads the Red Raiders with 47 three-pointers and 13.9 points per game in Big 12 play. This writer saw when he got hurt last week vs. West Virginia and doubts he plays on Monday.

Aimaq was named the 2021 WAC Player of the Year and the 2021 and 2022 WAC Defensive Player of the Year while at Utah Valley. He missed the first 16 games with a preseason foot injury and returned to play in three contests, but has now missed the past two after aggravating the foot. The Red Raiders were quite competitive in their three losses to ranked Kansas State, Baylor and Texas with the 6-foot-11 Aimaq in the lineup. He averaged 10.0 points and 6.7 rebounds.

Red Raiders senior forward Kevin Obanor is two points shy of becoming just the third active Division I player with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and should reach the milestone on Monday. The senior, who played his first three NCAA seasons at Oral Roberts, led Texas Tech with 22 points in Saturday's win.

Iowa State was No. 12 in last week's AP poll but could drop slightly after a 78-61 loss at Missouri on Saturday, one of only three losses for Big 12 teams in the 10-team Challenge vs. the SEC. The Tigers' 78 points were a season-high for an Iowa State opponent in regulation. The Cyclones are 0-3 this season when allowing at least 70 points in regulation. Three of Iowa State's five losses have come against unranked foes.

Cyclones guard Caleb Grill missed the game with a stiff back and is questionable Monday. He averages 10.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

Iowa State obliterated Texas Tech 84-50 in Ames on Jan. 10. Gabe Kalscheur was terrific, shooting 10-of-14 from the field, including 5-of-6 from deep, for a game-high 25 points. Grill had 14 points, and the 34-point margin of victory was Iowa State's largest over a conference opponent since 2013 when it beat TCU 87-52. 

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