After securing victories in the first round of the tournament, the Texas Tech Red Raiders will be taking on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sunday, March 21st. It should be a great game, as the two teams match up well against each other. Here's another rendition of our NCAA betting preview series and make a Texas Tech-Arkansas pick and prediction.

This just might be one of the best games we'll see in the tournament. The Red Raiders (18-10) entered the tournament as a hungry six seed, while the Razorbacks (23-6) played well in the regular season, earning themselves the three seed in the South bracket. Both teams earned convincing victories on Friday and each will try to do the same on Sunday.

Here is how the sportsbook has set the opening for the Texas Tech-Arkansas odds:

NCAA Odds: Texas Tech-Arkansas Odds

Texas Tech Red Raiders -1 (-110)

Arkansas Razorbacks +1 (-110)

Over 140.5 (-105)

Under 140.5 (-115)

Why Texas Tech Could Cover the Spread:

Although they're the lower seed, the Red Raiders opened as slight favorites. They play a bit of a slower pace, using their defense as the anchor for their success. We witnessed that first hand after watching them only allow the Utah State Aggies to score 53 points. They rely heavily on the backcourt, as Mac McClung leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game.

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Look for Texas Tech to pressure the Razorbacks while on defense, then slow the game down when they have the ball. The Red Raiders will have to maintain possession to prevent the high-scoring Razorbacks from running away with the game. Texas Tech will lean on McClung in this one, as he's easily their best player on the roster.

Why Arkansas Could Cover the Spread:

The Razorbacks are a solid team throughout. They score at will, and they play rather well on defense too. Moses Moody is the high scorer for the team, as he's averaging 17.2 points per game. However, the Razorbacks have a few seniors on the squad who have given them the advantage in most of their games. You can expect to see Justin Smith, JD Notae, and Jalen Tate pick up the bulk of the work for Arkansas, as they pick up the rest of the scoring behind Moody.

Arkansas is an experienced team that has a real chance to go to the final four. That experience should be what they rely on upon down the stretch of this game against Texas Tech. Look for senior Justin Smith to be the difference-maker in this game, as his 7.1 rebounding average could be what keeps the Razorbacks alive on Sunday. Either way, Arkansas is more than capable of covering the spread due to its potent offense.

Final Texas Tech-Arkansas Prediction and Pick

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the slight favorite to win this game. However, the Arkansas Razorbacks have multiple seniors on the roster. It should be a solid game between the two, as the guards match up well against each other. At the end of the day, the mismatch lies down low in the paint, where the Razorbacks could really take advantage. Also factoring in the three seniors on the Arkansas roster, it seems the Razorbacks are much more ready for big games like this one.

FINAL PICK: Arkansas wins 73-71 (Over -105)