#5 LSU vs #3 Texas NCAAW Pick: Top-5 SEC Rivals Aim for Statement Win (Feb 16)

• LSU earned a key win over Tennessee on Sunday, defeating them 82-77.
• Texas defeated #8 Kentucky in a thriller, winning 67-49, and rising to 25-2.
• These teams last met on November 24, 2017, in a game that Texas won 75-66.

Three of the top-5 teams reside in the SEC this season. Two of them face off this week in our LSU vs Texas pick. The Longhorns have been surging due to their stellar defense and will lean on their home-court advantage in this game.

LSU Flying Under the Radar

LSU improved to 25-1 following their win over Tennessee. They’ve now earned two ranked wins since losing to South Carolina in last month’s most important game. The Tigers are ranked #5 currently and would be a tremendously strong 2-seed. They are legitimate title contenders once again.

Leading the way for LSU are Guards Aneesah Morrow and Flau’Jae Johnson. Together, the pair averages about 38 points per game and 20 rebounds per game. They’ll be crucial in the Tigers’ chances of defeating Texas and overcoming their stellar defense. Expect LSU to take many three-point shots.

Texas Winning Defensive Battles

We predicted that Texas would defeat Kentucky this week, but an 18-point victory was even beyond our expectations. The Longhorns have now won two straight games against top-10 opponents with a chance to make it three in this matchup. Madison Booker continued to lead the way against Kentucky, scoring 19 points in the win.

Texas’ defense is the best in the nation. They held South Carolina and Kentucky to 62 and 49 points, respectively. On the other hand, their offense is good but not great. If a team like LSU manages to get hot from beyond the arc, the Longhorns could be put in a tough position. Still, their defense makes that quite unlikely.

LSU Tigers vs Texas Longhorns Pick

LSU has only lost once this season, which shows how difficult it is to defeat them. That being said, their schedule has also been more favorable than other top-10 teams. Meanwhile, Texas is scorching-hot with a suffocating defense. After holding South Carolina and Kentucky to under 65 points, expect the Longhorns to hold LSU under 70 and win this game.