NC State (11) vs. Texas Tech (6) Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
The Red Raiders are 5-point favourites to win on the college basketball odds.
NC State vs. Texas Tech NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
The winner of this game faces either No. 3 Kentucky or No. 14 Oakland on Saturday also in Pittsburgh for a trip to the Sweet 16. I fully expect that to be Kentucky.
NC State had one of the most unlikely conference tournament runs in history last week by winning five games in five days to capture the ACC Tournament and its automatic bid. The only other team in history to win five games in five days and take its conference tournament was UConn in 2011 in the Big East led by Kemba Walker, and the Huskies would win the national title. NC State also was the first 10 seed or lower to ever win a Power Six conference tournament. This is the Pack’s second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 29th all-time. NC State has an all-time record of 37-26 in the Dance.
Texas Tech finished tied for third in the Big 12 under first-year coach Grant McCasland and lost in the conference tournament semifinals by 23 points to No. 1 seed Houston. The Red Raiders are in their 20th NCAA Tournament and have an excellent 11-5 mark in the Dance since 2016, including losing in the 2019 national title game to another ACC school in Virginia.
A total of 58 times a No. 11 seed has beaten a No. 6 in Round 1 and at least one No. 11 has advanced to Round 2 every year since 2005. This will be the fourth meeting all-time between the two programs, but they have not met since the 1954-55 season.
NC State Wolfpack (11)
There are two key injuries to monitor for Texas Tech in guard Darrion Williams (11.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and big man Warren Washington (9.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg) with both probably questionable for now. The 7-footer Washington hasn’t played since Feb. 24. Williams, named third-team All-Big 12 in the regular season, missed the Big 12 Tournament loss to Houston after injuring his ankle the game before. Grant McCasland is the fourth head coach to lead Tech to the NCAA Tournament in first season following Gene Gibson (1962), Knight (2002), Adams (2022). Texas Tech is 18-0 when holding opponents to 70 points or fewer this season and leads the Big 12 with a 77.8 percentage at the free-throw line. TTU hasn’t placed an ACC team this season.
Texas Tech Red Raiders (6)
NC State has one of the more unique players in the country in the very beefy DJ Burns Jr. The 6-foot-9, 275-pounder was a big reason why the Wolfpack won the ACC Tournament for the first time since 1987, including 20 points, seven assists and four rebounds in the title game upset of regular-season champion North Carolina. He also hit the first three-pointer of his NCAA career in his 160th game. Teammate DJ Burns Jr. was the tournament MVP and leads the team in scoring at 16.9 points per game. There had been speculation that Coach Kevin Keatts might be fired but that point is now moot because winning the ACC Tournament got him an automatic two-year extension and a $400,000 raise annually going forward. He has been at NC State since 2017. Keatts has one of the most veteran rosters in the country.
NCST
TTU