Alabama vs Texas Tech Prediction and Preview: NCAA Tournament Second Round
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It’s been a fun last four months for Alabama and Texas Tech.
The Crimson Tide got to the SEC Championship in football and beat Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff before losing to Indiana.
The basketball side had its rough spots on and off the court, but it rolled Hofstra easily in the first round, and it’s a win away from making it four straight years, and five of the last six, getting past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Texas Tech had a breakthrough year in football with a Big 12 Championship and a trip to the CFP. It was the greatest season the program has ever had, and the basketball team was supposed to be just as strong.
Inconsistencies, early struggles, and the loss of star JT Toppin for the season made it a tough year. But it blew out Akron by 20, and with a win, it’ll make the second weekend for the second year in a row and the third time in the last five years.
Alabama vs Texas Tech Game Preview: Which Program’s Hoops Side Will Match the Football Success?
Alabama vs Texas Tech How To Watch
Date: Sunday, March 22
Venue: Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, FL
Time: 9:45 pm ET
TV: TBS
Streaming: March Madness Live App, Paramount+, HBO Max
Teams: (4) Alabama 24-9, (5) Texas Tech 23-10
CFN Spring Football Rankings
Alabama 11 | Texas Tech 10
First Round
Alabama 90, Hofstra 70
Texas Tech 91, Akron 71
– CFN NCAA Tournament Schedule, Previews
Key Stats
– Alabama made 14-of-19 free throws. Hofstra only went to the line five times.
– Texas Tech hit 55% of its threes against Akron, and held the Zips to 26% from the outside.
Why Texas Tech Will Win: The Red Raiders Can Score With the Tide
Alabama makes teams play its style. You either keep up the pace or get out of the way.
What the Tide don’t do is hold teams down – they’re 350th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 83 points per game. Yeah, Hofstra only came up with 70 in the first round, but that’s Hofstra.
Texas Tech might not score like Bama does, but it’s far better from three and good enough on the defensive boards to take advantage of every missed shot. The offense will bomb away and keep shooting from the outside.
The Red Raiders are 10-0 when scoring 87 points or more and 20-2 – including wins over Arizona and Iowa State – when scoring at least 78 points.
Why Alabama Will Win: The Tide are Better on the Defensive Boards
Texas Tech can rebound, but Alabama is far stronger.
It takes so many shots so quickly that most teams aren’t in the right position enough to clean up the misses.
The Tide are active enough to grab the rebound for second chance points, and then do it all again, no matter what the other side does with its possession.
There’s no problem with Texas Tech cranking up the offense, but what it doesn’t do is run.
It’s a more measured style on the offensive end – just about everyone looks slow compared to Alabama’s frenetic pace – but there isn’t enough attacking the rim.
And that’s going to be the Red Raider Achilles’ heel.
Alabama vs Texas Tech Prediction, Betting Lines
Free throws – Texas Tech doesn’t take them, and it doesn’t make them. Alabama gets to the line on a consistent basis, and it hits 77% of its tries – win over Hofstra aside.
Both teams will go on big scoring swings, neither team will do enough to stop the other, and in the end, Alabama will make at least five and closer to ten free throws.
Prediction: Alabama 86, Texas Tech 82
Consensus Line: Alabama -1.5, o/u: 165.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Related: UConn vs UCLA Prediction and Preview: NCAA Tournament Second Round
This story was originally published by College Football News on Mar 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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