2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Arkansas vs. Texas Tech

If there's a Cinderella story this tournament, it's 10 seed Arkansas. The Razorbacks have held onto leads for nearly the entire second half of both of their tournament games thus far. Meanwhile, Texas Tech has won its first two games by an average margin of 11.5 points per game in the men's college basketball tournament.

This regional semifinal clash features the second-smallest spread of Thursday with the Red Raiders favored by 5.5 points. Amid some injury concerns, let's dive into the matchup and best bets.

To see thoughts on other games, check out our full men's college basketball tournament predictions page. But for Arkansas vs. Texas Tech, here are my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds.

Betting Picks for Arkansas vs. Texas Tech

Arkansas +5.5 (-104)

The Razorbacks have covered three consecutive games as underdogs, including two outright wins in the men's college basketball tournament. As 6.5-point 'dogs against No. 2 St. John's, Arkansas led for the entire second half in the upset win.

After coming into the season ranked 16th in the AP Poll while ranking 3rd in 247 Sports' recruiting class rankings, the Hogs have more than enough talent on the roster. Additionally, Arkansas is getting closer to full health.

Boogie Fland, who is second on the team with 14.2 points per game (PPG), just returned from injury in the first round and has logged only 6.0 PPG while playing for 22.0 minutes per contest. Fland's usage should steadily rise as he gets healthy, and Adou Thiero (team-best 15.6 PPG) is expected to return from injury on Thursday.

Everything about the Razorbacks is trending up. Texas Tech has some concerns as guard Chance McMillian (14.2 PPG) has yet to play in the tournament and has a questionable status.

If McMillian can't go, this only puts even more of a scoring load on JT Toppin (18.1 PPG) and Darrion Williams (14.7 PPG). The two just combined for 54 points in the second round. However, Arkansas has an excellent defensive frontcourt with a lot of length in Jonas Aidoo (2.57) and Zvonimir Ivisic (2.72) -- who both carry impressive Defensive Bayesian Performance Ratings (DBPR), via EvanMiya.

This pick is coming down to the status of McMillian. If he does not play, Arkansas has the interior defense to frustrate Texas Tech. However, the Red Raiders become a more enticing pick with more balanced scoring if he does.

Christian Anderson to Make 3+ Threes (+154)

Much of this game comes down to the eye test. Arkansas is far behind Texas Tech is various efficiency metrics, but the Razorbacks have looked like a different team in the tournament.

Arkansas was fortunate to face a horrendous shooting team in St. John's -- who finished with a 28.0% field goal percentage while making 2 of 22 three-point looks (9.1%). However, Kansas found success from three by converting 8 of 17 attempts (47.1%) in the first round.

The Hogs are also in the 49th percentile of three-point shot distribution allowed and 35th percentile of three-point attempts allowed per contest. This shifts my focus to Texas Tech's three-point specialists.

Once again, this is an area where an active McMillian would shift the tide, for he's third on the team with 159 three-point shots on the season. For now, I love Christian Anderson to make three triples.

Anderson leads the team with 176 three-point attempts and is logging 7.0 three-point shots per game in the tournament. He's off to a cold start by making only 2 of his 14 shots (14.3%) over the first two rounds. However, this should come up considering the freshman shoots 38.6% from deep this season.

When facing shooting guards during the regular season, Arkansas gave up a 36.0% three-point percentage. Prior to his tournament cold spell, Anderson was logging 3.2 three-point makes per game over the final five games.

You can also click here to get our updated printable Men's College Basketball Tournament bracket for the Round of 16.

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Which bets stand out to you for today's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest men's college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.