Preview Game: Texas Tech vs Duke Set For Sweet 16 Matchup

Will this be the final game in the Hall of Fame coaching career of Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski? NCAAB oddsmakers think so as the No. 2 Blue Devils are short underdogs in West Region Sweet 16 action of the 2022 NCAA Tournament vs. No. 3 Texas Tech on Thursday.

How to Bet Texas Tech vs. Duke NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info

When: Thursday, 9:39 PM ET
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco
TV: CBS
Radio: Tunein.com
Opening NCAAB Lines: Texas Tech -1 (total 137)

Why Bet on Texas Tech?

Texas Tech is one of the nation’s top defensive teams and that has shown in the Big Dance, beating No. 14 Montana State 87-62 and then No. 11 Notre Dame 59-53 on Sunday. Down 52-49 with 1:56 to play, Adonis Arms hit a pair of free throws to start the run that was followed by two more free throws from Kevin Obanor at the 1:10 mark to take a 53-52 lead. Marcus Santos-Silva continued the streak with two more free throws and Kevin McCullar threw down a dunk with 15 seconds remaining to push the lead to 59-52.

Obanor led the Red Raiders by recording a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds, while Bryson Williams and McCullar both scored 14 points. Obanor’s 15 rebounds set a program record for rebounds in a game and he has now recorded a double-double in five straight NCAA Tournament games after also having 10 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Montana State on Thursday and three last season while at Oral Roberts.

The Red Raiders are now 10-3 over the past four tournaments, which is the second most wins nationally. Tech is back in the Sweet 16 after also advancing to the 2018 Elite 8 and the 2019 NCAA National Championship Final. In the program’s 19th NCAA Tournament, Tech is now 19-20 all-time in tournament play and is making its fifth trip to the Sweet 16 (1996, 2005, 2018, 2019).

Tech remains at No. 1 in Kenpom.com defensive efficiency in a season where the Red Raiders are limiting opponents to only 60.2 points per game, are holding teams to 38.2 percent shooting and are forcing 15.9 turnovers per game. The top defensive unit in the nation, the 97 points by the Red Raiders against Montana State are the most points scored in any tournament game this season to this point.

Williams leads the Red Raiders with 13.9 points per game this season after scoring 14 against Notre Dame and 20 points against Montana State. The Red Raiders have five more players averaging over 8.0 points per game with Terrence Shannon, Jr. (10.5), Obanor (10.0), McCullar (9.9), Davion Warren (9.7) and Adonis Arms (8.4). Tech is an experienced team with five players having scored over 1,000 points in their careers with Williams leading the way with 2,128 followed by Warren (1,944), Arms (1,683), Obanor (1,666) and Santos-Silva (1,240).

Mark Adams was named a finalist for Naismith National Coach of the Year. In his first season at the helm, after five years as an assistant, he has led his team to a 27-9 mark and was AP Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Why Bet on Duke?

Duke (30-6) found itself down five points Sunday without about five minutes left vs. No. 7 Michigan State but rallied for an 85-76 win to the Sweet 16 for the 26th time under Coach Mike Krzyzewski, in his final season. It was Coach K’s 1,200^th career win overall.

Freshman Paolo Banchero scored 19 points, including the go-ahead basket through contact with 2:05 left. The All-American then came up with a block on the other end, and a clutch Jeremy Roach three on the ensuing possession put the Blue Devils ahead by four. Duke shot .607 from the field in the second half after halftime and .571 for the game, and it needed every bit of that production to survive against the seventh-seeded Spartans in a riveting fight to the final minute.

Banchero became just the fourth Duke player with back-to-back NCAA Tournament games with 15+ points, 5+ rebounds and 4+ assists, joining Danny Ferry (1987 and 1988), Grant Hill (1994) and Jon Scheyer (2010).

Duke had five players score in double figures, with Wendell Moore Jr., Jeremy Roach and Mark Williams netting 15 apiece. Freshman Trevor Keels added 12, including a momentum-shifting three to tie the game at 72 with 3:24 left. Williams added eight rebounds and five blocks. He is the first Blue Devil in history to record consecutive NCAA Tournament games with 5+ blocked shots after swatting five in the first-round win over Cal State Fullerton. Williams has blocked 104 shots this season – fourth most in a season at Duke. The only other player to have 100+ blocks in a single season was Shelden Williams, who did it three times (137 in 2006, 122 in 2005 and 111 in 2004).

However, freshman AJ Griffin hurt his ankle in the second half and is iffy for Thursday. During his past 20 games he’s averaging 12.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists. Griffin’s also shooting 48.9% overall and 47.5% on 3-pointers. He had seven points on 3-of-7 shooting with three rebounds against Michigan State.

Duke is making its 44th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and is now 116-38 in the tournament, including 26-5 in Round of 32 games. Duke has advanced to the Sweet 16 now 28 times, which is the second most all-time. It marks the Blue Devils 26^th trip since the field expanded in 1985 and the 18th since 1998, which is the most nationally in that span. Duke has reached Sweet 16 in five of its last six tournament appearances.