As the second game on Friday for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the No. 12 Akron Zips (29-5) will square off against the No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders (22-10). Tip-off is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. ET, live on truTV.
Before the game gets underway, Texas Tech is an 8.5-point favorite, per PrizePicks Team Picks. Could this be a 5-12 matchup that busts people’s brackets?
Below, we’ll break down our Akron vs. Texas Tech spread prediction and picks for Friday’s NCAA Tournament contest. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
New users on PrizePicks can start the 2026 NCAA Tournament with $50 in Lineups instantly after playing $5+ — win or lose! Just sign up with promo code PLAYBOOK and you’re good to go.
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Akron vs. Texas Tech Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
The Zips are coming into this year’s NCAA Tournament flying high, currently on a 10-game winning streak. This is Akron’s fourth appearance in the tourney over the past five years, but they’ve been eliminated in the first round in their last three.
While F JT Toppin (21.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG) won’t be active for the Red Raiders, they will have G Christian Anderson (18.9 PPG, 7.6 APG) available.
Texas Tech looks to build upon advancing to the West Regional Final in last year’s tournament, which ended with an 84-79 loss to the champion Florida Gators.
Akron vs. Texas Tech Spread, Over/Under
Texas Tech is favored by 8.5 points, returning a 1.31x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if it wins outright.
Akron is an underdog with a 3.44x payout for a win on PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
- Spread: Texas Tech -8.5 (2.08x payout)
- Over/Under: 156.5 (2x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Akron 3.44x | Texas Tech 1.31x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
🔥 Get College Basketball Predictions and Picks from the experts for the NCAA Tournament
Akron vs. Texas Tech Prediction on Spread – 3/20/26
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Akron vs. Texas Tech prediction on the spread for the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 20, on PrizePicks.
- Akron faced only three teams inside Bart Torvik’s top-100 rankings all season.
- Those teams were Miami (OH), Purdue, and Yale — the Zips lost all three games.
- Although Texas Tech’s long-term outlook in the tourney is worse without Toppin, the Red Raiders went 3-0 outright and against the spread in their first games sans him. That includes a victory over No. 2 seed Iowa State on February 28.
- Texas Tech holds a major edge on both ends of the court, ranking 10th in adjusted offensive efficiency (126.3) and 27th in defensive efficiency (98.9).
- Comparatively, Akron is 64th in adjusted offensive efficiency (117.3) and 104th in adjusted defensive efficiency (105.5).
- The Zips are 250th in 3-point percentage allowed (35.1%), while the Red Raiders are fourth in 3-point percentage (39.3%).
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Make Akron vs. Texas Tech Picks on PrizePicks
Taking a No. 12 seed over a No. 5 seed is a well-known trend when making a bracket for the NCAA Tournament each year. Will Texas Tech prevent Akron from being a Cinderella program this year?
You can make your Akron vs. Texas Tech picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. Over on Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued college basketball predictions, picks, and news through the NCAA Tournament.
