NCAA Elite Eight betting: The first ticket to the 2025 Final Four will be punched in San Francisco on Saturday evening, as the Florida Gators will square off with the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the home arena of the Golden State Warriors.
Florida has waited 11 years since their last Final Four visit but looks like a solid candidate after taking down 4-seed Maryland, 87-71.
The Red Raiders have only been to the Final Four one other time – back in 2019 – but that year they made it all the way to the national championship game, where they fell to Virginia.
They were down 16 to 10-seed Arkansas in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night but roared back to win in overtime.
The last time these teams met was in 2018, when Texas Tech beat Florida in the second round of the Big Dance.
Which team should you pick if you add this matchup to your sports betting? Read on to get our prediction before you lock in your wagers.
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Florida vs Texas Tech Odds, NCAA Elite Eight betting
When: Saturday, March 29, 2025, 6:09 pm ET
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco
TV: TBS / TruTV
Radio: No National Broadcast
Live Stream: Sling TV
March Madness Odds: Florida -6.5 / O/U 157
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Why should you bet on the Gators?
The most impressive part of the Gators’ win over Maryland was their domination of the boards. The Terrapins had one of the best rebounding teams in the Big Ten this season, led by future NBA player Derik Queen and Julian Reese, but the Gators outworked the Terrapins, getting 42 boards to just 20 for Maryland. That gap played a significant role in Florida’s 16-point win. Ball security was a problem for the Gators, but they still dropped 87 on Maryland, led by 15 points from Will Richard.
Richard is one of the best in a group of wing scorers that key the Florida offense. He has nailed 76 three-balls and averages 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Walter Clayton Jr is the team’s best outside shooter and made First Team All-SEC after nailing 108 three-pointers (38.6%) and scoring 17.7 points per game. He only had 13 against Maryland, but he had 23 points in each of the first two rounds of the tournament.
Alijah Martin puts up 14.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as a guard. Their top inside player is Alex Condon, an All-SEC forward who chips in 10.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He did roll his ankle against Maryland but came back to complete the game. KenPom has Florida ranked second overall, including second in offensive efficiency and ninth in defensive efficiency.
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Why should you put your money on the Red Raiders?
With 10 minutes left in the Red Raiders’ Sweet 16 game against the Arkansas Razorbacks, it looked like the 10-seed Hogs would push their Cinderella story on to the next weekend. Texas Tech trailed, 61-45, but then John Calipari’s Arkansas side just fell apart. The Red Raiders came all the way back to force overtime and then get a two-point win. They had three players score for over 20 points, including J.T. Toppin, who had nine boards to go along with his 20 points. He was the Big 12 Player of the Year as Texas Tech finished as Big 12 runners-up behind Houston. He led the team with 18.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore forward. He had a 25-12 night in the Red Raiders’ first-round win over Drake.
Another key contributor was Darrion Williams, who also dropped 20 on the Razorbacks. The junior forward averages 14.8 points, 5.5 boards and 3.7 assists per game. Against Drake, he had 28 points. The top scorer against Arkansas was freshman guard Christian Anderson, who had 22 on the night after averaging just 10.8 points per game on the season.
He leads the team with 71 makes from behind the arc. KenPom has Texas Tech ranked ninth overall, including fifth in offensive efficiency and 39th in defensive efficiency. They will need to hit the boards against Florida if they want to have a shot at another upset.
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Final Score and Prediction Florida vs Texas Tech: NCAA Elite Eight betting
Florida was able to win and cover against Maryland, but we don’t know how Alex Condon’s ankle will respond two days after that injury. The Gators will have to deal with Toppin on the boards.
They were able to handle the Maryland rebounders, but with Condon more limited, Toppin could have room to feast. Florida turned the ball over 17 times against the Terrapins, and the Red Raiders will make them pay for that kind of ball security. I think the Gators can pull it out, but this spread is too large. Florida 78, Texas Tech 75.
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