Henry Roldán
This commitment will be marked by two very defensive teams that will try to have their best night to continue advancing in the “Madness of March”. While the Bobcasts are coming off comfortable winning the Big Sky Conference, Texas Tech swept big teams like Baylor and Texas to finish third in the mighty Big 12 Conference.
Picks and Predictions for the Montana State Bobcats vs Texas Tech Red Raiders NCAA Basketball Championship Round 1 Game on March 18 2022
- Where: Viejas Arena – San Diego, California
- When: Friday, March 18, 1:45 PM ET
- Betting Line: Montana State Bobcats (+15) vs Texas Tech Red Raiders (-15)
Montana State Bobcats Betting Preview
- Overall Record: 27-7
- Conference Record: 16-4
- Spread: +15
- Over/Under: Under 131.5
- Moneyline: +900
Montana State started the season with three straight losses and after that they went 27-3 to secure the Big Sky. The trademark in the Bobcats’ offense is their effectiveness on the free throw line, ranking fifth in the nation. Something that they have to take advantage of because they fail a lot from the medium and long distance.
However, when we talk about them we must point out their iron defense. In the campaign they allowed opponents to shoot only 32.1% from the three-point range, the best in the conference, and allowed the second fewest big Sky points with just 68.5 per game.
Texas Tech Red Raiders Betting Preview
- Overall Record: 25-9
- Conference Record: 12-6
- Spread: -15
- Over/Under: Under 131.5
- Moneyline: -1600
Texas Tech is another team that is recognized in the nation for its great defense. Despite stagnating a bit in the final stretch of the regular season, the Red Raiders dazzled in the Big 12 tournament. Their interior defense stifled opponents and helped them sweep Baylor and Texas this season and also record victories over Tennessee and Kansas.
The big unknown of the Red Raiders is their offense, since they do not have a name that loads the team’s attack and sometimes they make very bad decisions with the ball. Their defense brought them here and their physical play too, the same one they will have to appeal to move forward in the big dance.
JefeBet Prediction
Montana State has a great balance in its lines and could be a problem for Texas Tech. However, the experience of many of the Red Raiders figures, who were already in March Madness last year, will be key to taking this defensive game. This time I was left with the loss of 131.5.
