Texas Tech Red Raiders are the favorites in the opening odds and betting lines for the Drake vs Texas Tech matchup.

• The #11 Drake Bulldogs pulled off an upset over #6 Missouri on Thursday
• The #3 Texas Tech Red Raiders survived a stiff test #14 UNC Wilmington
• Below, see the opening Drake vs Texas Tech odds and betting lines for Saturday’s game in Wichita, KS

The #11 Drake Bulldogs (31-3, 17-14) parlayed a superb MVC season into a first-round victory at the 2025 NCAA Tournament, beating #6 Missouri 67-57 as 5.5-point underdogs. But there’s no respite for this potential Cinderella as the #3 Texas Tech Red Raiders (26-8, 17-17 ATS) are waiting in the second round on Saturday in Wichita, KS.

No team has more wins than Drake’s 31 Ws at this point in the season, but it’s still the Red Raiders who are sizable favorites in the opening Drake vs Texas Tech odds.

Opening Drake vs Texas Tech Odds

Texas Tech has opened as a big 7.5-point favorite over the MVC champs. TTU is priced at -325 on the moneyline, giving them a 76.47% implied win probability. The Bulldogs are +260 underdogs (27.78% implied win probability). The game total has been set at just 126.5 in what’s expected to be a slow-paced, defensive slugfest. Odds as of March 21 at DraftKings. See the full list of online betting banking methods at each sportsbook.

Texas Tech is currently the tenth-favorite in the March Madness championship odds (+4000). Drake is a +40000 longshot.

The latest Final Four odds for the West Region show TTU as the +550 second-favorite behind #1 Florida (-125) and Drake as the +300 fifth-favorite.

Drake’s Defense Stifles Mizzou

Drake, which plays at a sluggish pace (364th in tempo) and relies on its stalwart defense, used its bread-and-butter to get past the favored Missouri Tigers on Thursday night in Wichita. The Bulldogs held Mizzou to just 23 first-half points and had built a seven-point lead by the break. Missouri made a comeback in the second and pulled within a point (52-51) with 4:28 remaining, but that’s as close as they would come.

Drake held the Tigers to a pitiful 33% shooting from the field and 25% from three while finishing +3 on the glass and +2 in turnovers. The Bulldogs managed to hit at 54% from the field and 50% from three in one of their more-efficient offensive performances of the season. Leading scorer Bennett Stirtz (19.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.7 APG) was all-world for his Bulldogs, dropping 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting with four dimes.

Drake played three power-conference teams in the regular season, going 3-0, but only one of those opponents made the NCAA Tournament. They took down Miami (80-69) on a neutral court in Charleston and beat Vanderbilt (81-70) at the same early-season tournament. Three weeks later, they beat Kansas State 73-70 in a de facto road game.

Drake vs Texas Tech KenPom Ratings

Stats in the table predate Thursday’s games.

Texas Tech Survives UNC Wilmington

A 15.5-point favorite, most expected Texas Tech to cruise past #14 UNC Wilmington. But no one told the Seahawks. UNCW briefly led in the second half (48-47) and it wasn’t until the final five minutes that TTU finally managed to put some distance between them and their opponent, ending up with an 82-72 victory.

Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin (18.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG) had just ten points and attempted only eight field goals, somewhat due to foul trouble. With third-leading scorer Chance McMillian (14.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.9 APG) out, senior guard Kerin Walton (5.8 PPG) came up huge, scoring a career-high 27 points, 24 from beyond the arc (8-of-17). Point guard Elijah Hawkins (9.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 6.4 APG) finished just one rebound shy of a triple-double, with 13 points, nine rebounds, and ten assists.

TTU shot an NCAA Tournament school-record 44 three-point attempts, but only connected on 13 (29%).

Texas Tech didn’t play any MVC teams in the regular season.

Check out SBD’s other picks for Friday!

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are coming into their matchup against the Drake Bulldogs as the favorites in the opening odds and betting lines. The Red Raiders have had a strong start to the season, with a record of 7-1 and wins over tough opponents like LSU and Tennessee.

Texas Tech is known for their strong defense, which is currently ranked 8th in the nation in points allowed per game. They are led by senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who is averaging 16.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Shannon is a versatile player who can score from anywhere on the court and is a key player for the Red Raiders.

On the other hand, the Drake Bulldogs are coming into this matchup with a record of 8-2 and wins over teams like Kansas State and South Dakota State. They are led by senior guard Roman Penn, who is averaging 13.6 points and 6.7 assists per game. Penn is a dynamic playmaker who can create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.

While the Red Raiders are the favorites in this matchup, the Bulldogs should not be underestimated. They have a strong offense that is currently ranked 32nd in the nation in points per game. If they can continue to score at a high rate and play solid defense, they could give Texas Tech a run for their money.

Overall, this should be an exciting matchup between two talented teams. The Red Raiders will look to continue their winning ways and solidify their status as one of the top teams in the country, while the Bulldogs will look to pull off an upset and make a statement of their own. Fans can expect a competitive game with plenty of action on both ends of the court.