March Madness Team Betting Preview: Texas Tech Red Raiders
When we last saw an NCAA Tournament play out, Texas Tech was among a surprising group of Final Four teams. Chris Beard and the Red Raiders are back in the dance this year, this time as the 6-seed in the South Region.
After navigating a grueling Big 12 Conference schedule this season, there’s no denying that Texas Tech is as battle-tested as any team in the field of 68. There are some key differences between this year’s Red Raiders team and the national finalist from two seasons ago, but Tech once again figures to be a tough out. The following provides an overview of the Texas Tech Red Raiders and a prediction for how they’ll fare in the NCAA Tournament.
FREE Bracket Optimizer: Create a winning bracket in seconds >>
Texas Tech Red Raiders Betting Preview
Record: 15-10 overall, 9-8 Big 12
ATS: 10-17
O/U: 12-15
Points Scored/Game: 73.0 (105th overall, 7th in Big 12)
Points Allowed/Game: 63.4 (25th overall, 1st in Big 12)
Outright Odds: +4000 (BettingPros Consensus)
Texas Tech Red Raiders Starters and Key Reserves
| Name | Position | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG |
| Kyler Edwards | G | 10.0 | 4.6 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.5 |
| Mac McClung | G | 15.7 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| Kevin McCullar | G | 10.1 | 6.1 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 0.8 |
| Terrence Shannon Jr. | G | 12.7 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.2 |
| Marcus Santos-Silva | F | 8.5 | 6.5 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| Micah Peavy | G | 5.8 | 3.2 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Jamarius Burton | G | 4.7 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.3 |
Team Strengths
When it comes to defense and toughness, Texas Tech is a strong as any in the March Madness field. The Red Raiders surrendered just 63.4 points per game this season which led the Big 12 Conference and was also a top-25 mark in the nation. The offense wasn’t bad either. The addition of Georgetown transfer Mac McClung gives the Red Raiders a go-to scorer in clutch time, much like Jarrett Culver was on the 2019 national runner-up team.
Coaching is often a major factor in tournament play, and it doesn’t get much better than Texas tech’s Chris Beard. The Red Raiders were tested on a nightly basis in the Big 12 this season. A middle-of-the-pack team in the Big 12 will likely be better than their record and conference standing would suggest this season. Top to bottom, the Big 12 was the best conference in college basketball.
Team Weaknesses
Texas Tech doesn’t have much in the way of size down low. While forward Marcus Santos-Silva is a tremendous player, he is the only listed forward to play any significant minutes or make much of an impact for the Red Raiders this season. Another question mark revolves around who will step up as a dependable second scoring option to Mac McClung in the tournament.
Check out all of our 2021 March Madness coverage >>
Why They’ll Win it All
The Red Raiders took their bumps and bruises in Big 12 Conference play as all teams in the league did. Heck, even national championship contender Baylor suffered a pair of defeats down the stretch. After playing as rigorous a schedule as anyone in the regular-season, Texas Tech won’t back down from any challenge in the NCAA Tournament. If Mac McClung gets hot shooting the rock, this team could be extremely dangerous in the South Region.
Why They Won’t Win it All
The Red Raiders could easily find themselves at an insurmountable size disadvantage early and often in the NCAA Tournament. If they survive their First Round matchup against 11-seed Utah State and their star big man, Neemias Queta, it will be interesting to see how the Red Raiders defense fares against the high-octane offense of Arkansas.
Texas Tech Red Raiders March Madness Prediction
While I have the utmost respect for Chris Beard and what he has built in Lubbock, I struggle to see the Red Raiders having an extended stay in this year’s tournament. They very easily could be bounced on Day 1 in what figures to be a defensive rock fight against Utah State. Should they survive that, Arkansas is the more talented team in that likely Second Round matchup.
I’ll add that for as talented a player and scorer as Mac McClung is, he is not a future NBA lottery pick as Jarrett Culver was. McClung is a terrific college player, but the Red Raiders might meet their fate if they become overly reliant on him to produce all their offense in the NCAA tournament. This, along with the tough draw of being a 6-seed, give me pause on just how far Tech will advance this season.
Win prizes playing our free March Madness Bracket Contest >>
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts
Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section — including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners — or head to more advanced strategy — like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread — to learn more.
Henry John is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Henry, check out his archive and follow him @HankTimeSports.