The Texas Tech Red Raiders take on the Duke Blue Devils in New York, New York. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Duke is favored by -8.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -425. The total is set at 152.5 points.
Here’s my Texas Tech vs. Duke prediction and college basketball picks for December 20, 2025.
Texas Tech vs Duke Prediction
My Pick: Texas Tech +8.5 (Play to +7)
My Texas Tech vs Duke best bet is on the Red Raiders to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Texas Tech vs. Duke Odds
| Texas Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 152.5 -110o / -110u | +325 |
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 152.5 -110o / -110u | -425 |
- Texas Tech vs Duke spread: Duke -8.5
- Texas Tech vs Duke over/under: 152.5 points
- Texas Tech vs Duke moneyline: Texas Tech +325, Duke -425
Texas Tech vs Duke College Basketball Betting Preview
Texas Tech Basketball
Texas Tech heads to Madison Square Garden to play a de facto road game against Duke
Texas Tech is 8-3, with all three of its losses coming against top-25 opponents (Illinois, Purdue, Arkansas).
The Red Raiders' identity has shifted a bit this season. They've usually been a stingy defensive team, but this season, it’s been their offense that's the driving force. They rank 16th in offensive adjusted efficiency and 64th in defensive adjusted efficiency.
They shoot a fair number of 3s and hit them at a 37.6% clip. Their most significant struggle — especially in close games and in the losses to Illinois and Arkansas by a combined 11 points — is their inability to knock down free throws at a high rate.
JT Toppin has been a force on the inside, combining elite scoring ability with strong efforts on the glass.
Sophomore point guard Christian Anderson also contributes in significant ways, as he's accounted for 21% or more of their points in all but two games this season.
He’s currently scored at least 26 points in two of his last three, and we need him to be hot from deep because this Duke interior is a major strength.
Duke Basketball
For all intents and purposes, I think Duke is the best team in college basketball.
By the numbers, the Blue Devils come in at No. 3, and that's probably due to their strength of schedule (91st nationally).
They’ve also been fortunate in some instances, only winning by a single point against Florida, by 15 against a struggling Texas and by six against Michigan State.
This team is evenly balanced, ranking 10th and third in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, respectively.
They also play at a high tempo, ranking 17th in average possession length at just 15.1 seconds per possession.
With the No. 3 defense, I expect Duke to put a lot of pressure on Texas Tech’s shooting ability. Duke has the top defense in the country when factoring in opponent effective field goal percentage, and the No. 2 defense in 2-point percentage allowed.
The Blue Devils also shoot a high volume of 3s and knock them down at 35.2%.
Their biggest weakness is their inexperienced roster depth, ranking 315th in Division I experience and 116th in bench minutes.
But they do counter those deficiencies with great size (fourth overall in average height) and talent.
Also of note, Texas Tech checks in at 217th in average height.
Texas Tech vs. Duke Betting Analysis
At 8.5 or 9 points right now, you’re telling me this Duke team is probably a 13- or 14-point favorite at Cameron Indoor, and I don’t see that.
We talked about the Blue Devils' inexperienced roster, and the Red Raiders are the opposite. They come in as the 37th-most experienced roster in college basketball and have been tested by a better quality of teams to start the season. They rank 31st in terms of strength of schedule, 59 spots ahead of Duke.
This is also a neutral court, not Cameron Indoor. While we do expect Duke alumni and fans to outnumber Texas Tech, it'll still be a different atmosphere playing on the NBA court.
I think this game is a lot closer than the experts believe, so I'm going to take the points here with Texas Tech.
My Pick: Texas Tech +8.5 (Play to +7)
