Red Raiders Open as Slim Favorites in Texas Tech vs Alabama Odds

• The opening Texas Tech vs Alabama odds have the Red Raiders as slight favorites in the round of 32
• Texas Tech routed Akron without injured star JT Toppin, while Alabama handled Hofstra
• Keep reading for the full Texas Tech vs Alabama odds breakdown for Sunday’s second-round matchup

#5 Texas Tech (24-10) and #4 Alabama (24-9) will square off in one of the most evenly matched second-round games of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders rolled past Akron on Friday despite playing without All-American JT Toppin, while the Crimson Tide pulled away from Hofstra after falling behind by 10 in the first half.

Tip-off is Sunday, March 22nd at 12:00 PM ET at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, FL. Texas Tech has opened as a narrow favorite in the college basketball odds, but this line is already on the move.

Texas Tech vs Alabama Odds

The Texas Tech vs Alabama odds opened with the Red Raiders as 2.5-point favorites, but the line has already tightened to TTU -1.5 (-120) at DraftKings. Texas Tech is -130 on the moneyline while Alabama comes back at +110.

The game total sits at 166.5 with -110 on both sides. Given both teams’ offensive firepower on Friday, that number could keep climbing before tip-off.

Opening odds as of March 20 at DraftKings. Grab the DraftKings promo code before tip-off.

Texas Tech vs Alabama First-Round Recap

Texas Tech proved it can win without Toppin, who tore his ACL last month. Five Red Raiders scored in double figures, led by Jaylen Petty’s 24 points. Christian Anderson added 18, Josiah Moseley had 16, Donovan Atwell scored 15, and LeJuan Watts chipped in 14.

The Red Raiders built a 12-point lead in the first half before Akron trimmed it to five at the break. Petty and Atwell opened the second half with back-to-back threes to blow it open, and TTU never looked back. Anderson’s steal led to a Petty fast-break dunk that pushed the lead to 13, and the Red Raiders cruised from there.

Alabama had a bumpier ride. Hofstra led by as many as 10 before Nate Oats’ squad flipped the script with a 29-point swing, eventually building a 19-point lead. The Tide shot 31-of-66 from the floor and pulled down 45 rebounds (14 offensive) in the 90-70 win.

Labaron Philon Jr. started at guard alongside Latrell Wrightsell Jr., with Aiden Sherrell, London Jemison and Amari Allen rounding out the starting five. Notable DNPs included center Charles Bediako and guard Aden Holloway.

These two teams are essentially dead even at KenPom, separated by just 0.01 net rating points. Texas Tech ranks 18th and Alabama 19th.

The contrast in style is stark, though. TTU leans on defense (99.9 adjusted defensive efficiency, 33rd) while Alabama runs one of the fastest tempos in the country (73.2, 4th nationally) with an elite offense (129.1 adjusted efficiency, 3rd).

Alabama has faced the 2nd-toughest schedule in Division I. That experience against top competition could be the difference in a game this close on paper. The March Madness championship odds still consider the Tide a legitimate title threat.

Texas Tech vs Alabama Team Stats

Bookmark SBD’s March Madness bracket to track every second-round matchup and updated lines this weekend.