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Gambling911.com has an early line on the Texas Tech vs. Kansas game, assuming these are the two teams that make it to the second Final Four game of 2018.
The line on this game should be Jayhawks -2.5.
Texas Tech coach Chris Beard has taken the Red Raiders to the Elite Eight for the first time in the program's history, his second year as head coach of the team.
We just made the - what's it called? The Great Eight?'' Beard asked his players at the postgame news conference.
''Elite,'' guard Keenan Evans corrected him.
''The Elite Eight our second year together,'' said Beard, who was with Arkansas-Little Rock when it beat Purdue in the first round of the 2016 NCAA tournament. ''Why shouldn't we? We've got a great university. We play in the best league in college basketball. We've got really great players. We're blessed to be here, but I think we've earned the right to be here.''
Texas Tech trailed for most of the first before scoring the last 10 points of the half to turn a five-point deficit into a 30-25 lead. The Red Raiders led 58-55 with 5:44 left when Evans hit two free throws and then a three pointer to start an 11-0 run that put the game away.
Texas Tech entered their Elite Eight game 2-7-1 Against The Spread in their last 10 games overall.
As a top seed the last two seasons, Kansas made it through the regional semifinals, only to flop a game shy of the Final Four both times. In fact, this marks the sixth time Bill Self's team has been seeded first since KU won it all in 2008; the Jayhawks haven't made the Final Four one of those times.
''I think about it all the time. I just told the guys in the locker room...this year, we've got to get over the hump,'' said senior Devonte' Graham, who had 16 points.
- Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com
