2024 NCAA Tournament: Predictions, picks, odds for NC State-Texas Tech March Madness game
March Madness is here.
Facing off on the first day of the round of 64 are tournament Cinderella team No. 11 N.C. State Wolfpack and No. 6 Texas Tech Red Raiders, who finished the season ranked 22nd in the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll.
The Wolfpack were not expected to make the NCAA men's tournament after a relatively lackluster regular season that included four straight losses at the end and a 17-15 record. Then the ACC tournament began, and N.C. State won five games in five days – including victories over Duke and North Carolina – to win the tournament and earn an automatic bid to the next round.
Texas Tech's tournament story is a bit less exciting. The Red Raiders had a solid regular season and finished tied for third in the Big 12 with a 22-9 overall record. They defeated BYU in a conference tournament quarterfinal before falling to Houston, one of the country's top teams, in their semifinal.
Here's everything to know about Thursday's round of 64 clash.
Men's NCAA Tournament 2024: 10 bold predictions for March Madness
N.C. State vs. Texas Tech predictions
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech 78, N.C. State 74
Nathan Giese writes, "Texas Tech enters the NCAA Tournament having won four of its last five games. The Red Raiders won the rebounding battle in each of those contests, something the team only achieved three times in their first 15 games of Big 12 play. On the season, NC State has a rebounding margin of negative-1.1 per game."
The Sporting News: Texas Tech has the edge
Brendan O'Sullivan writes, "There's definitely an argument for the Wolfpack to win this matchup considering their momentum, but Texas Tech has won more consistently all season. NC State could cool down after a couple days of rest following its ACC title win, which could be enough for Texas Tech to capitalize."
ESPN: Texas Tech favored to move on in March Madness
ESPN Analytics give the Red Raiders a 62.5% chance to win the first-round clash. The same model leaves ACC champions N.C. State a 37.5% chance to pull off the upset.
March Madness expert picks: Our bracket predictions for 2024 NCAA men's tournament
N.C. State vs. Texas Tech: Odds, spread and lines for March Madness
Texas Tech are favorites to defeat N.C. State in Thursday's March Madness matchup according to the BetMGM college basketball odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering sports betting promos in 2024.
Odds as of Tuesday.
Spread: Texas Tech (-5.5)
Moneyline: Texas Tech (-250); N.C. State (+195)
Over/under: 145.5
How to watch N.C. State vs. Texas Tech: TV, streaming and schedule
When: Thursday, March 21 at 9:40 p.m. ET
Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cable TV: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+
How to watch NCAA Men's Basketball March Madness 2024
All games will be broadcast across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. Here are additional streaming options to watch all the action on your devices.
Stream through Paramount+
Stream through HULU with Live TV
Stream through DirecTV Stream
How to watch March Madness: Catch all tournament action with a subscription to fuboTV
Printable March Madness bracket
You can find a printable bracket for the men's tournament here.
A women's tournament printable bracket is available here.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NC State-Texas Tech: Predictions, picks, odds for March Madness game
