March Madness: Alabama is a Tiny Favorite Over Texas Tech… For Now

Mar 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Aiden Sherrell (22) shoots against Hofstra Pride forward Victory Onuetu (6) in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images Nate Oats crew had to overcome the loss of guard Aden Holloway and sloppy early play from the Tide — as well as ridiculous officiating from the referees — in the first round of the NCAAM Tournament to top 13-seed Hofstra on Friday afternoon. Despite the issues for Alabama, the 4th seeded Crimson Tide led the entire game and finally took charge with just under 5 minutes to play when they outscored the Pride 19-5 down the stretch to turn a tight game into a 20 point win.

Up next for Alabama is a tougher foe in 5th seeded Texas Tech and Bama cannot afford to wait until the last minutes to turn up the heat. According to the FanDuel sportsbook , the Tide opens up as a -1. 5 point favorite over the Red Raiders — a razor-thin margin that could waver between now and Sunday’s game at 8:45pm CT.

The over/under is set at 164. 5 as of post. TEXAS TECH (23-10) Texas Tech had a similar opening game in the Big Dance as they led the 12-seed Akron by five at the half and by a similar margin with 6:25 remaining before outscoring the Zips 22-7 down the stretch to win by 20.

Tech is also missing a key player. However unlike Holloway, their loss is a consensus second-team All-American in forward JT Toppin who suffered a season-ending injury after tearing his ACL in his right knee in a February game at Arizona State. At the time of his injury, Toppin led his team with 21.