Texas Tech vs. Drake Prediction, Odds & Preview Today: NCAA Tournament Second Round Best Bets
The No. 11 Drake Bulldogs (31-3) advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round after a thrilling upset, and they’ll take on No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders (26-8) today. Tipoff at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan., will be at 6:10 p.m. ET (TNT). Let’s get into our Texas Tech vs. Drake prediction, odds, and preview to help you bet on Saturday’s game.
Texas Tech is the 7.5-point betting favorite for this contest after surviving a challenge from UNC Wilmington. Our March Madness predictions series continues as we break down whether Drake can continue its Cinderella run with a trip to the Sweet 16.
🏀 Texas Tech vs. Drake prediction & picks today
Here are my best Texas Tech vs. Drake predictions for the second round of the NCAA Tournament; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:
✅ Against the spread pick: Drake +7.5 (-110 via Caesars) vs. Texas Tech ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Best player prop bet: Bennett Stirtz Over 17.5 points (-102 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: Drake 65, Texas Tech 63 (+18000 via DraftKings)
👉 Want more picks? Check out our latest college basketball picks and the rest of our March Madness second-round predictions.
🔢 Texas Tech vs. Drake updated betting action
- Bettors at BetMGM are heavily favoring Drake, with the Bulldogs drawing 67% of the action on the spread at +7.5
- The action on the total is closer, with the over sitting at 57%
- The spread has stayed largely unchanged, though it did shift from -7.5 in favor of Texas Tech to -6.5 a few times Friday night
🏆 Best Texas Tech vs. Drake pick, player prop bet & score prediction
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✅ Drake to cover the spread: +7.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The matchup versus Missouri was better for Drake. The Bulldogs were 6.5-point underdogs in that game, so it’s a little disappointing that we’re only getting one more point for their NCAA Tournament second-round clash. Still, this squad is built to win in March, and it should at least keep the proceedings close versus Texas Tech.
Drake has been the slowest-paced team in the country since Feb. 1. Limiting total possessions gives a more efficient team fewer chances to win, and the significance of shooting variance rises. Texas Tech has been content to play slowly too while ranking 212th nationally during the same period.
The Texas Tech offensive depends on the 3-point shot, as the team ranks seventh in 3-point rate, with more than half its shots coming from behind the arc since the start of February. The school has converted a solid 36.7% of those looks. But it’ll be hard to maintain that efficiency with Drake’s defense ranking a steady 58th in 3-point shooting percentage allowed (31.1%).
📊 Best odds: -110 via Caesars ($10 to win $9.09)
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🔥 Bennett Stirtz Over 17.5 points ⭐⭐⭐
Player prop markets for Texas Tech still aren't open, likely due to the team's injuries. Third-leading scorer Chance McMillian is out for the tournament, and second-leading scorer Darrion Williams played an inefficient 30 minutes on Thursday, scoring 13 points on 5-for-15 shooting from the field while going 0-for-4 from deep.
While I would prefer to fade Williams, I’m satisfied with buying an Over on Drake’s star guard Bennett Stirtz. He played all 40 minutes on Thursday while scoring 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field and going 3-for-3 from deep.
That kind of efficiency won’t be easy to maintain against Tech, but he's the clear lead option for Drake's offense, and Stirtz will be on the court as long as the game is competitive.
📊 Best odds: -102 via FanDuel ($10 to win $9.80)
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🎯 Score prediction: Drake 65, Texas Tech 63
With the total for Saturday’s game set at 127, we’re going slightly over that while projecting 128 total points. More importantly, we’re also projecting Drake to both cover and win outright. If you backed the Bulldogs to beat Missouri in the first round as we recommended, don’t wager all your winnings on them to win in this round. Use some of the profit to buy the moneyline.
This final score projection assumes we see both Drake and Texas Tech play at the pace the two sides have been maintaining all season. It’s hard to put up lots of points when you don’t play many possessions. But Drake left a lot on the table at the free-throw line on Thursday, which is likely skewing the total a bit lower than it should be sitting.
📊 Best odds: +18000 DraftKings ($10 to win $1,800)
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🤖 Texas Tech vs. Drake AI prediction
For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze historical trends and live NCAA Tournament stats before predicting the winner and the exact score for Texas Tech vs. Drake. Our AI prediction projects a final score of Texas Tech 74, Drake 64.
🖥️ AI score prediction: Texas Tech 74, Drake 64
- Texas Tech's defense, which ranks among the top in the nation, has consistently been limiting opponents to low shooting percentages, which could disrupt Drake's offensive rhythm.
- Drake's recent victory over Missouri showcased the team's resilience, but the Bulldogs' 50% free-throw shooting (12-of-24) in that game raises concerns about Drake's ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities against a defensively stout team like Texas Tech.
- Texas Tech's forward JT Toppin not only leads the team in scoring, but he's also improved his playmaking abilities while recording multiple assists in recent games, which adds a versatile dimension to the Red Raiders' offense.
🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean Texas Tech covering the spread (-7.5) and a total of 138 points, exceeding the total of 126.5. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that March Madness bettors might overlook.
📊 Live Texas Tech vs. Drake odds
Follow the latest live March Madness college basketball odds and real-time NCAA Tournament scores for the second round.
Latest Texas Tech vs. Drake odds
Here are the latest odds for Texas Tech vs. Drake from BetMGM ahead of tipoff:
Spread
Texas Tech is the -7.5 favorite in the hours before tipoff, which is mostly unchanged after the opening line. However, the spread did shift to -6.5 briefly on Friday night.
Total
The total has been zig-zagging, and it's now mostly back to where the number started. It sits at 126.5 and has gone a point in either direction since opening.
Moneyline
Texas Tech is the -350 moneyline favorite. That line shortened to -300 at one point Friday night before returning to where it started.
🔢 Texas Tech vs. Drake opening odds
- Spread: Texas Tech -7.5 (-110) | Drake +7.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Texas Tech -350 | Drake +275
- Over/Under: Over 127 (-110) | Under 127 (-110)
📺 How to watch Texas Tech vs. Drake: NCAA Tournament second round
📅 Date: Saturday, March 22
🕗 Time: 6:10 p.m. ET
📍 Location: INTRUST Bank Arena (Wichita, Kan.)
📺 TV: TNT
💻 Streaming: March Madness Live
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