Texas Tech vs Akron College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for NCAA Tournament First Round

A first-round NCAA Tournament matchup will see the No. 5-seed Texas Tech Red Raiders (22-10) play against the No. 12 seed Akron Zips (29-5) on Friday at Benchmark International Arena. The matchup starts at 12:40 p.m. ET, on truTV.

Before you place your bet on this game at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

Texas Tech vs. Akron Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Friday, March 20, 2026
• Game time: 12:40 p.m. ET
• TV channel: truTV
• Location: Tampa, Florida
• Arena: Benchmark International Arena

Texas Tech vs. Akron Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: Texas Tech win (59.9%)

Take a look at some betting trends and insights for Texas Tech (-7.5) versus Akron on Friday. The total is set at 155.5 points for this game.

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Texas Tech vs. Akron: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Texas Tech has compiled a 16-16-0 ATS record so far this year.
• Akron has compiled a 17-15-0 record against the spread this year.
• Texas Tech covers the spread when it is a 7.5-point favorite or more 42.9% of the time. That's less often than Akron covers as an underdog of 7.5 or more (100%).
• The Red Raiders have a better record against the spread at home (9-7-0) than they do in away games (5-5-0).
• In 2025-26 against the spread, the Zips have a lower winning percentage at home (.462, 6-7-0 record) than on the road (.667, 8-4-0).

Texas Tech vs. Akron: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Texas Tech has won in 17, or 77.3%, of the 22 contests it has been named as the moneyline favorite in this year.
• The Red Raiders have a win-loss record of 12-2 when favored by -319 or better by sportsbooks this year.
• Akron has been the moneyline underdog just one other time so far this season, a game it lost.
• The Zips have played as a moneyline underdog of +255 or longer in only one game this season, which they lost.
• Texas Tech has an implied victory probability of 76.1% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.

Texas Tech vs. Akron Head-to-Head Comparison

• Texas Tech averages 80.4 points per game (75th in college basketball) while allowing 72.6 per contest (139th in college basketball). It has a +249 scoring differential overall and outscores opponents by 7.8 points per game.
• JT Toppin paces Texas Tech, recording 21.8 points per game (11th in the country).
• Akron's +505 scoring differential (outscoring opponents by 14.9 points per game) is a result of putting up 88.4 points per game (seventh in college basketball) while giving up 73.5 per contest (170th in college basketball).
• Tavari Johnson is 31st in college basketball with a team-high 20.1 points per game.
• The Red Raiders grab 33.8 rebounds per game (84th in college basketball) while allowing 30.7 per outing to their opponents. They outrebound opponents by 3.1 boards per game.
• Toppin's 10.8 rebounds per game lead the Red Raiders and rank seventh in college basketball play.
• The Zips prevail in the rebound battle by an average of 6.4 boards. They are collecting 35.3 rebounds per game (34th in college basketball) compared to their opponents' 28.9.
• Amani Lyles averages 8.0 rebounds per game (81st in college basketball) to lead the Zips.
• Texas Tech averages 103.6 points per 100 possessions on offense (51st in college basketball), and allows 93.5 points per 100 possessions (130th in college basketball).
• The Zips rank seventh in college basketball with 109.0 points scored per 100 possessions, and 64th defensively with 90.7 points conceded per 100 possessions.

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