The No. 3 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders are set to face off against the No. 14 seed UNC Wilmington Seahawks on Thursday night in a matchup of the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Texas Tech, with a record of 25-8, secured the second position in the Big 12 but faced defeat against Arizona during their conference tournament. In contrast, UNC Wilmington captured the CAA Tournament title, featuring a season record of 27-7. This marks the seventh appearance for Texas Tech in March Madness over the last nine years, while this will be its seventh entry since the Seahawks transitioned to Division I in 1977.

Tip-off from INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas, is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET. The Red Raiders enter as 14.5-point favorites according to the latest odds from SportsLine, with an over/under of 143.5 total points. Before making any betting decisions for the UNC Wilmington vs. Texas Tech game, ensure you check the predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. Now, it enters the 2025 NCAA Tournament on a remarkable 228-166 roll (+2025) on top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023, having also delivered brackets that surpassed 91% of CBS Sports entries in four of the last six tournaments, and successfully identified 24 double-digit first-round upsets. Anyone who has followed it could have seen significant returns.

The model is currently focused on this game and has locked in its March Madness predictions. Check the model’s picks at SportsLine now.

Match Details:

• Spread: Texas Tech -14.5
• Over/Under: 143.5 points
• Money Line: Texas Tech -1639, UNC Wilmington +915
• Texas Tech Record Against Spread (ATS): 17-16
• UNCW Record ATS: 20-12
• Picks: See picks at SportsLine here.

Why Texas Tech Can Cover

To commemorate their 100th season, the Red Raiders are not only making their 20th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance, but they are also tied with 25 wins for the fourth-most in their program’s history. Led by sophomore forward JT Toppin, who is averaging 18.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, Texas Tech achieved a significant milestone with 10 Quad 1 wins this season, including an overtime victory against Houston.

Texas Tech is known for its perseverance in the NCAA Tournament, managing to reach the Sweet 16 three times in the last decade. The team has been undefeated against Quad 3 and Quad 4 competitors (12-0) this season.

Why UNC Wilmington Can Cover

With 27 wins, UNC Wilmington has tied its record for the second-most in school history, with the team winning its conference title for the seventh time. The CAA champions are led by senior guard Donovan Newby, who has a solid average of 14.6 points and 3.5 assists per game.

Head coach Takayo Siddle, who has consistently led the program to 20-plus wins each of the last four years, is making his NCAA Tournament debut since joining the program in 2020. The Seahawks recorded their sole NCAA Tournament victory in 2002 under former head coach Jerry Wainwright. This season, they have faced one Big 12 team, suffering a loss to Kansas (84-66).

How to Make Picks

According to the SportsLine model, the game is projected to surpass the total points, estimating 152 combined points. The model has also formulated a selection against the spread that succeeds in over 60% of simulations. Check it out at SportsLine.

So, who will triumph between Texas Tech and UNC Wilmington, and which side of the spread has a probability exceeding 60%? Visit SportsLine for insights from the advanced model that has yielded over $2,000 in earnings from top-rated college basketball predictions, and it all starts here!