The Texas Tech Red Radiers landed a five seed in the South Region of the bracket, and they’ll face off against the 12-seed Akron Zips.
Texas Tech vs. Akron opening odds
This is the kind of 5–12 game the bracket lives on: a high-major with real second-weekend ambitions, and a mid-major champion that has spent four months looking far too organized to dismiss. Akron comes in 28-5, fresh off a third straight MAC tournament title, and the Zips have earned every bit of their annual “dangerous 12-seed” aura. John Groce’s team is scoring 88.4 points per game, shooting 50.3% from the field, 37.9% from three, and carrying one of the country’s most polished offensive profiles into the field. Tavari Johnson has been the headliner at 20.1 points and 170 assists, Amani Lyles adds 14.6 points and 8.1 rebounds on 55.7% shooting, and Shammah Scott gives them another live perimeter scorer at 12.7 a night while hitting 42.2% of his threes. Akron has not won an NCAA tournament game in program history, but it keeps showing back up here, and this version arrives with real pace, real shotmaking, and no shortage of belief.
Texas Tech answers with a very different kind of March profile. The Red Raiders are 22-10, finished third in the Big 12, and still carry the program memory of a national title game run in 2019 and an Elite Eight trip in 2022. Grant McCasland’s group has the shape of a team nobody wants to see in this seed band: 80.4 points per game, 46.7% shooting, 39.3% from three, and opponents held to 72.6 per night. JT Toppin is the matchup centerpiece at 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, Christian Anderson brings 18.9 points and 236 assists, and Donovan Atwell has buried 124 threes at a 45.4% clip. So that is the tension here. Akron wants to turn the game loose and trust its offensive rhythm. Texas Tech brings size, glass control, and a front-line star capable of making the whole thing feel heavier possession by possession.
