Texas Tech Red Raiders vs Gonzaga Bulldogs: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, USA.

When: Saturday, March 30th at 6:09pm EST.

How (TV/Radio): TBS; March Madness Live Stream on NCAA.com

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Head Coach: Chris Beard {Overall: 29-6, .829 W-L% | Conference: 14-4, T-1st in Big 12}

Texas Tech’s dominant run through March Madness continued on Thursday night, resulting in their second consecutive Elite Eight appearance. The Red Raiders can advance to the first Final Four in program history, if their third ranked defense can shut down the top ranked offense in the country.

TTU should be confident in their ability to shut down Gonzaga after dismantling Michigan’s attack in the Sweet Sixteen on March 28th. Chris Beard’s squad hammered the Wolverines 63-44, limiting the Big Ten heavyweight to their lowest scoring output in a NCAA tournament game since the 1940’s.

Big 12 Player of the Year, Jarrett Culver was the top scorer with 22 points, while Italian sharpshooter Davide Moretti snapped out of his shooting funk and hit three of four from downtown in his 15 point performance.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Head Coach: Mark Few {Overall: 33-3, .917 W-L% | Conference: 16-0, 1st in West Coast Conference}

After avenging last season’s Sweet Sixteen loss to Florida State, the Zags have their sights set on the program’s second Final Four berth. The last time Gonzaga made it there in 2017, they advanced to the championship game where they would lose to North Carolina.

Like Texas Tech, Gonzaga has managed to win each of their tournament games by double digits, with Florida State the latest victim on March 28th. The Bulldogs beat the Seminoles 72-58, with WCC player of the year, Rui Hachimura scoring 17 points. Although known as an offensive powerhouse, the Bulldogs and their 30th ranked defense limited Florida State’s best player, Mfiondu Kabengele, to 8 points on 4 of 11 shooting.

Junior wing Brandon Clarke had a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds, while the backcourt tandem of Josh Perkins and Zach Norvell Jr. added 14 points apiece in the victory.

Texas Tech Roster Notes

Freshman forward Khavon Moore is out for the season with a knee injury that he suffered last year in high school.

Gonzaga Roster Notes

There are no injuries or roster changes to report for Gonzaga.

Head-to-Head: Matt Mooney vs Josh Perkins

Matt Mooney

Point Guard | 6-3, 200lb (190cm, 90kg) | Notre Dame HS | Wauconda, IL | Redshirt Senior

10.9 PPG | 3.3 APG | 3.2 RPG | 1.8 SPG | 0.1 BPG | 2.5 TOV | .419 FG% | .385 3P%

Josh Perkins

Point Guard | 6-3, 190lb (190cm, 86kg) | Huntington Prep HS | Park Hill, CO | Redshirt Senior

10.9 PPG | 6.3 APG | 2.8 RPG | 1.4 SPG | 0.1 BPG | 2.0 TOV | .452 FG% | .360 3P%

With one-and-done freshmen often hogging the headlines throughout the season, it is easy to forget about those who have stuck around and grown in the college ranks. College basketball purists will have their appetites satisfied, as this game will feature two point guards who have already earned their degrees, and returned for grad school along with a shot at a championship.

After stops at Air Force and South Dakota, Matt Mooney brought 76 games of starting experience to Lubbock to provide the Red Raiders with some added leadership. His effort on the defense has played a key role in the team’s collective focus on that end, as he ranks eighth in the country with three defensive win shares.

Despite his scoring output dipping some from last season, Josh Perkins has remained a valuable asset for coach Mark Few, as the graduate student improved his assist average from 5.3 to 6.3 while slightly lowering his turnovers. Perkins has not had to do much, as Hachimura, Clarke, and others have shouldered the lion’s share of the scoring load. Nonetheless, Perkins has shown in the past that he can rise to the occasion when necessary.

Texas Tech vs Gonzaga Predictions and Odds

Bettors who reside in New Jersey can wager on various props such as point spreads, over/unders, and player stats at the 888Sport sportsbook.

The moneyline odds on offer for this game are:

• Texas Tech: +148
• Gonzaga: -195