#19 Texas Tech vs. #3 Duke Picks and Predictions: Blue Devils and Red Raiders at Madison Square Garden

Nate Hornung

Written by: Nate Hornung

Last Update: Fri Dec 19, 2025, 5:26 pm ET

Read Time: 5 minutes

Back the Johnnies early against Duke in this Sweet 16 matchup - Duke St. John's Picks

ncaab

The Duke Blue Devils continue their reign of terror on the rest of college basketball this weekend as they face the No. 19 Texas Tech Red Raiders at Madison Square Garden. They already have a ranked win in this building this year, beating the No. 24 Kansas Jayhawks in the Champions Classic, plus they have a neutral site ranked win over No. 22 Arkansas. Can the Blue Devils add another ranked win to their resume? Or will the Red Raiders finally find a way to win over a tough opponent? Find out below with our expert picks.

More Saturday NCAA Basketball Coverage

Go check out what else I've got on my daily card, and view the latest odds at the best online sportsbooks.

#19 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. #3 Duke Blue Devils NCAA Basketball Insights

How long can Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils stay perfect? Duke Texas Tech Picks

How long can Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils stay perfect?

Texas Tech has failed to show up in all three ranked games this year. They lost a close one to the No. 14 Illinois Fighting Illini in a true road game early this season. After barely squeaking by Wake Forest, they were embarrassed by No. 1 Purdue in the Baha Mar Championship, losing by 30. Finally, last Saturday they lost to No. 17 Arkansas in Dallas. Tech led by six at halftime and by five with less than 10 minutes on the clock, but ended up dropping the game by seven to the Razorbacks.

Duke is 11-0 with four ranked wins. The last two have been closer than they've wanted, beating No. 15 Florida by just one at home and then taking down the No. 7 ranked Michigan State Spartans by six in East Lansing. Now, Duke just let the Lipscomb Bisons hang around for way too long at Cameron Indoor, but eventually won by 24 points. Were they looking ahead to Texas Tech?

Matchup Information – Texas Tech vs. Duke – December 20

  • Venue & Location: Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
  • Date: Saturday, December 20, 2025
  • Kick Off: 8:00 p.m. Eastern
  • Broadcast: ESPN

Texas Tech vs. Duke Betting Odds

Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of December 19, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. eastern. Sign up today with and get a $1,250 deposit bonus, as well as 50 slot spins immediately. Lucky Rebel Sportsbook offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.

Spread

  • Texas Tech +8.5 (-110)
  • Duke -8.5 (-110)

Total

  • Over 152.5 (-112)
  • Under 152.5 (-108)

#19 Texas Tech vs. #3 Duke NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions

Christian Anderson leads the Red Raiders playing nearly 38 minutes per contest - Duke Texas Tech Picks

Christian Anderson leads the Red Raiders playing nearly 38 minutes per contest

Texas Tech vs. Duke Prediction: Duke Wins, Texas Tech Covers, Under 152.5

Best Bet: Texas Tech/Duke Under 152.5 (-108) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook

If you read my Auburn vs. Purdue preview, you'd know I like that under, but am waiting for it to move even more. I am doing the exact same thing here. I have not taken this bet as of 5:09 p.m. eastern on Friday night, as this is ticking up and we will be patient, waiting for the best number possible. The Duke Blue Devils are 9-2 to the under this season. They went over against Army when they scored 114 points, and they went over last game because they played with some urgency as the Bisons gave them a run for their money.

But that is not Duke's game. They like to play sound defense mixed with slow offense, limiting their opponent's possessions. Duke ranks No. 179 in pace this year, while the Red Raiders are even slower coming in at No. 229. Texas Tech is just 6-5 to the under this year, but they stayed under against Purdue, a team that is comparable in talent and style on both sides of the ball as Duke. Point being, the Blue Devils might be able to win this game by scoring less than 70.

I certainly don't see them scoring more than 75, which will keep us under whatever total we snag (assuming they win this game). JT Toppin against Cameron Boozer will be very entertaining, but ultimately I think the Blue Devils stay perfect. If the Red Raiders want to put up a fight, it starts on the defensive end.

Still Didn't Get Your NCAA Basketball Fix?

Here at Betting News, we offer Free Expert Picks for every major sports league. We also host daily streams on our Twitch Channel with our best bets, as well as sweat out games on Playback! Be sure to tune into everything we have going on at our Youtube, TikTok, and X pages as well, and follow my personal twitter @Shaggy_Bets for my full daily card.

Get FREE Picks and Props Weekly

Sign up for
THE WEEKENDER NEWSLETTER

Check Out All of Our Betting Resources at Betting News

Nate Hornung
Nate Hornung

Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.

This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Betting News makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.