Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington Prediction, Odds & Preview Tonight: NCAA Tournament First Round Best Bets
The first day of NCAA Tournament first-round action concludes tonight at 10:42 p.m. ET (truTV) when the No. 3 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders (25-8) take on the No. 14 seed UNC Wilmington Seahawks (27-7) at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan.
Texas Tech is a 15.5-point betting favorite as we offer our Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington prediction, odds, and preview as part of our March Madness predictions to wrap up the first day of March Madness bracket in the West Region.
🏀 Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington prediction & picks tonight
Here are my best Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington predictions tonight for the first round of the NCAA Tournament; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:
✅ Against the spread pick: Texas Tech -15.5 (-110 via Caesars) vs. UNC Wilmington ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Best player prop bet: Chance McMillian over 2.5 3-pointers (-102 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: Texas Tech 82, UNC Wilmington 60 (+17000 via DraftKings)
👉 Want more picks? Check out our latest college basketball picks and the rest of our March Madness first-round predictions.
🤖 See our March Madness AI bracket predictions for every game through Monday, April 7
🔢 Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington updated betting action
- 68% of bets are on Texas Tech to cover (-15.5)
- 59% of wagers are on the Over (144.5)
- The spread remains at -15.5 in favor of Texas Tech, though the moneyline (+850) has shifted toward UNC Wilmington as tipoff nears (BetMGM)
🏆 Best Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington pick, player prop bet & score prediction
Our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool can help you find the best odds for any March Madness market across legal sportsbooks in your area!
✅ Texas Tech to cover the spread: -15.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you go into March Madness expecting every double-digit seed to compete, you will be disappointed. Some will—but most will wilt against truly elite competition.
That’s what I’m expecting when the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who are among the March Madness odds contenders and rank sixth nationally in both T-Rank and adjusted offensive efficiency since February 1, take on the UNC Wilmington Seahawks. The Seahawks rank 109th and 81st in those metrics, respectively.
This pick comes down to a mismatch on the perimeter.
Texas Tech ranks a solid 54th in 3-point percentage since February 1, but, more importantly, they rank 12th in 3-point rate at 50.3%. More than half their shots come from beyond the arc. Through that same sample, UNC Wilmington ranks 310th in opponent 3-point rate—and 301st at opponent 3-point percentage.
UNC Wilmington faced another Big 12 team, Kansas, earlier in the season.
The Seahawks lost to the Jayhawks by 18 despite Kansas going 6-for-25 from the 3-point line. Against a better Big 12 team with more capable and confident perimeter shooters, UNC Wilmington’s margin of defeat will probably be even wider—yet we’re getting Texas Tech as just a 15.5-point favorite.
📊 Best odds: -110 via Caesars ($10 to win $9.09)
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🔥 Chance McMillian over 2.5 made 3-pointers ⭐⭐⭐
I’m keeping this as a three-star play because some meaningful injury questions persist in the Texas Tech camp. Both Chance McMillian and Darrion Williams, the team’s third and second-leading scorers, respectively, missed the Big 12 tournament semifinal. They’re both expected to suit up for the NCAA Tournament, but college injury news can be unpredictable.
If McMillian does play—and isn’t on a minutes limit—getting him for over 2.5 3-pointers at -102 odds should prove profitable. McMillian’s 43.4% 3-point percentage paces the team’s starters, and he could erupt against a UNC Wilmington defense that can’t seem to stop anything on the perimeter.
I would wait until we get more clarity about his playing situation, but this Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington player prop bet should be on your shortlist. Of our best sportsbooks, FanDuel offers the best price on this prop.
📊 Best odds: -102 via FanDuel ($10 to win $9.80)
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🎯 Score prediction: Texas Tech 82, UNC Wilmington 60
With the total for this game set to 143.5, we’re erring toward the under with this exact score prediction. Both teams play at an average to below-average pace, and I’m not expecting any major tempo change from either side.
More importantly, we’re well past the 15.5-point spread for Texas Tech. This game has demoralizing blowout written all over it.
When UNC Wilmington lost to Kansas by 18 earlier in the season, it was with a final tally of 84-66, not far from where we’re at here. I’m not especially high on the Big 12, but I am high on this red-hot Red Raiders team, and I’m pretty low on a Coastal Athletic Association that nearly gave a tournament bid to the Delaware Blue Hens (16-20).
📊 Best odds: +17000 via DraftKings ($10 to win $1,700)
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🤖 Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington AI prediction
For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze historical trends and live NCAA Tournament stats before predicting the winner and exact score for Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington. Our AI prediction projects a final score of Texas Tech 81, UNC Wilmington 67.
🖥️ AI score prediction: Texas Tech 81, UNC Wilmington 67
- Texas Tech's potent offense, averaging 80.9 points per game, is expected to exploit UNC Wilmington's defense, which has struggled against high-scoring teams
- The Red Raiders' strong three-point shooting (37.9%) poses a significant challenge for the Seahawks, whose perimeter defense ranks 298th nationally.
- Texas Tech's experience and depth, coupled with their motivation following last year's early tournament exit, position them favorably against a less battle-tested UNC Wilmington squad.
🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean UNC Wilmington covering the spread (+15.5) and a total of 148 points, surpassing the over/under line of 144.5. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that March Madness bettors might overlook.
📊 Live Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington odds
Follow the latest live March Madness college basketball odds and real-time NCAA Tournament scores for the first round.
⌛ Latest Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington odds
Here's a look at the latest Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington odds with less than 90 minutes before tipoff, courtesy of BetMGM.
➕ Spread
Texas Tech opened as a 15.5-point favorite, and that hasn't changed as we approach tipoff of tonight's final NCAA Tournament game. Yet the price to bet that number has shifted from -120 opening odds to -105 juice entering tonight's matchup.
💰 Moneyline
As mentioned earlier, the moneyline was sharply in Texas Tech's favor when this market opened, but the Red Raiders' price has slipped from -2000 to -1600 while UNC Wilmington has moved from a +1050 underdog to a +850 long shot to win tonight.
📈 Total
The total for this matchup opened at 141.5 and has been bet all the way up to 144.5 with just over an hour before tipoff.
🔢 Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington opening odds
- Spread: Texas Tech -15.5 (-120) | UNC Wilmington +15.5 (-102)
- Moneyline: Texas Tech -2000 | UNC Wilmington +1050
- Over/Under: Over 141.5 (-110) | Under 141.5 (-110)
📅 Check out the full March Madness first-round schedule and opening odds.
🔮 West Region expert picks
- West Region betting preview
- Florida vs. Norfolk State prediction
- UConn vs. Oklahoma prediction
- Memphis vs. Colorado State prediction
- Maryland prediction Grand Canyon prediction
- Drake vs. Missouri prediction
- Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington prediction
- Kansas vs. Arkansas prediction
- St. John's vs. Omaha prediction
📺 How to watch Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington: NCAA Tournament 1st round
📅 Date: Thursday, March 20
🕗 Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
📍 Location: INTRUST Bank Arena (Wichita, Kan.)
📺 TV: truTV
💻 Streaming: March Madness Live
💰 March Madness betting odds pages
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