Texas Tech vs Alabama: Defense vs Speed

0:00On March 21, Texas Tech takes on Alabama in the second round of the NCAA Tournament this Sunday, March 22 at 9.45pm Eastern. Time from benchmark international arena in Tampa, Florida, airing on TBS. The red raiders are slight one-point favorites, with a total around 165 points. Despite the close spread, many see this as more than a toss-up matchup. Alabama heads in short-handed, still missing guard Aiden Holloway, which cramps their style. The crimson-tied love pushing the pace and transition, but without him, they lean even harder on fast breaks and struggle in the half-court to generate steady offense. Texas Tech counters with elite transition defense, surrendering just one point per possession on the run. Their attack and kick offense ranks number one nationally, setting up open threes that Alabama has trouble closing out all season. A big key could be red raiders guard Donovan Atwell, who's draining over 45% from deep on high volume. Betting trends show Alabama's first halves often

1:02go under, hinting at a slower start. This clash pits Texas defensive clamp against Alabama speed, and the winner punches a ticket to the sweet 16.