The No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders greet No. 12 Akron in the opening round of March Madness on Friday in Tampa, Florida, at 11:40 a.m. CT on truTV. Texas Tech (22-10) swiftly exited the Big 12 tournament in a 21-point loss to Iowa State despite earning a double bye to the quarterfinals. They’d drop the final two games of the regular season to TCU and at BYU, but remain on solid ground without the services of star forward JT Toppin, out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee. Akron (29-5) hopes to seize the opportunity after winning the program’s third consecutive MAC tournament. Here’s our prediction, preview, odds, and key storylines to get you ready for tipoff.
Texas Tech vs. Akron Game Odds
Texas Tech opened as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 155.5 points. Ahead of tip off, Tech is down to a 6.5-point favorite and the over/under is 154.5 total points.
Key Storyline: Who Gets What and When?
Even without Toppin, Texas Tech has the shooting volume to outrun Akron but not forever. Entering Friday’s game, the Red Raiders are only 1.4% better than the Zips at the 3-point line and will be leaning on the deep ball should Akron forward Amani Lyles (14.6 ppg) get moving on both ends. Guards Tavari Johnson and Shammah Scott can shoot, too, so Texas Tech can’t afford to drag its feet. Akron has the Jay Bilas seal of approval, and enters this matchup hardly viewing itself as “upset” material.
Match Up to Watch: Christian Anderson and Tavari Johnson
Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson (18.9 ppg, 7.6 apg, 3.6 rpg) has shouldered much of the load late in the season, as the Red Raiders navigate a Topplin-less tournament run. He’ll get a good matchup from Johnson, a finalist for the Nolan Richardson Award, who can score and move the ball similarly to Anderson and conduct the offense as needed. Like Anderson, Johnson is getting his opportunity to pull through when much of the country’s already counted both teams out by the second round.
Prediction: Texas Tech 77, Akron 70
I like Akron in this matchup because its guard play and a proven resume in the MAC this season, but Texas Tech, too, is playing for a heavily-altered season and a bit of pride on behalf of Toppin in the opening round of March Madness on Friday. Expect a competitive matchup, but the Red Raiders, barring any further injuries or an utter collapse from the field, have enough in the tank to reach the second round.
