March Madness continues on Saturday, with eight games between 16 teams set to tip off. In the West region, #3 Texas Tech will battle #11 Drake for a trip to the Sweet 16. The Red Raiders survived an early scare from UNC Wilmington on Thursday, pulling ahead late for an 82-72 victory. Earlier that day, the Bulldogs defeated Missouri 67-57, earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament win in over 50 years.
Illinois enters this contest as 7.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 126.5 points. Below is my college basketball pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday’s March Madness showdown.
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#3 Texas Tech vs. #11 Drake (6:10 PM EST)
Despite a scare on Thursday, Texas Tech remains one of the more intimidating top seeds on this year’s bracket. The Red Raiders ended the regular season strong, winning four of their final five games. On offense, they’re led by sophomore standout JT Toppin. Through 30 games, the forward has averaged a team-leading 17.9 points and 9.2 rebounds. He’s accompanied by fellow forward Darrion Williams (14.2 PPG) and guard Chance McMillian (14.2 PPG).
On the other side, Drake has gone 32-3 this season, dominating an otherwise weak Missouri Valley Conference. Leading the way for the Bulldogs has been Bennett Stirtz. The freshman is averaging a team-leading 19.2 points per game, thanks in large part to a whopping average of 39.4 minutes. Besides the guard, this is not a group inclined to score much. Only two other players on the roster are averaging more than ten points.
This is a true battle of polar opposites. Texas Tech has the fifth-highest adjusted offensive efficiency per KenPom (124.9). Drake has the 38th-best adjusted defensive efficiency. Something has got to give in this matchup. While the Bulldogs prefer to play a slower, uglier brand of basketball, not every game is a slugfest. In three of the team’s four games against a high-major opponent this season, over 140 total points were scored. The talented Red Raiders should find a way to put up enough points to clear this modest total.
College Basketball Pick: over 126.5 points (1 Unit)
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