Texas A&M Could Upset Houston In the Round of 32
Houston vs Texas A&M Betting News Ahead of Sunday's Game
The Houston Cougars added an 86-46 victory over Longwood to begin their NCAA Tournament. The Cougars lost in the NCAA basketball conference tournaments but responded nicely in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament.
They’re set to take on the Texas A&M Aggies in the Round of 32 matchup in the South Region. Texas A&M added a convincing 98-83 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers to advance.
The Aggies are typically a poor shooting team. However, the offense has scored at least 90 points in three consecutive games.
That’s probably unlikely to happen against Houston, who has one of the best defenses in the nation.
The Cougars are currently sitting at -9.5, with the total only at 132.5. The Aggies have been in high-scoring games through the second portion of the NCAAB regular season, but that didn’t stop the oddsmakers from making the total 132.5, with the Under juiced to -115.
Here’s some Houston vs Texas A&M betting news that will help you make your selections for this South Region matchup.
Aggies vs Cougars 
Date & Time:
Location: FedExForum
Streaming: TNT
Houston vs Texas A&M Betting News
The Texas A&M Aggies have gone 21-14 this season, covering in 18 of 35 NCAAB games this season. Meanwhile, the Aggies have hit the Over in 22 of those 35 games this year. However, Texas A&M finished 6-6 away from home this year.
On the other hand, the Houston Cougars have gone 17-16-2 against the spread and have hit the Under in five more games than the Over this year. Houston had a more consistent season despite playing in the Big 12 this year.
Texas A&M and Houston played against one another in December of this season. The Aggies were 7-point underdogs but held on for a cover after losing 70-66.
Houston had a semi-home game and escaped with a win. The total only reached 136, which helped the game get Over 132.5. This game will help us make decisions for our college basketball best bets for this matchup.
Texas A&M’s Athleticism
The Texas A&M Aggies have won six of their last seven games behind Wade Taylor IV. Taylor IV led the Aggies with 25 points after shooting 7-for-10 from deep. Meanwhile, Manny Obaseki added 22 points in the win, while Tyrece Radford scored 20.
Nebraska was overwhelmed by Texas A&M. The Aggies are the best rebounding team in the nation and couldn’t be stopped on the glass. However, Texas A&M isn’t typically a good shooting NCAAB team, but the Aggies were super hot from the field.
When you can’t miss from the field and ultimately have some of the best athleticism on the court for offensive rebounds, it’s a tough recipe to stop.
The Aggies will have to take on a stronger opponent in Houston next time out.
Houston’s Defense Shines Again
Houston had a minor hiccup in the Big 12 Championship Game against Iowa State, but the defense responded in the first NCAA Tournament game by holding Longwood to just 46 points.
Longwood had been the team that most people thought could pull off the 16-versus-1 upset. But that game was never close, thanks to Houston’s defense.
Houston’s guard Jamal Shead was named a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. He also earned unanimous Consensus First-Team All-American status. He is one of the four finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year, along with Zach Edey, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Tamin Lipsey.
Shead and the Cougars lead the nation in scoring defense and turnover margin. They’ve also held teams to the lowest field goal percentage this season, holding them to 60 points or fewer in 21 games.
To begin the first round, it was more of the same from the Cougars. It was just another average day for Houston.
How Much Longer Can We Trust Texas A&M?
The Texas A&M Aggies are playing terrific basketball, but numbers don’t lie.
The Aggies have only shot 29.2% from deep and 47% from inside the arc this season. Now, they’ll have to take on the best defense in the nation to get into the Sweet 16.
Houston is currently No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency and has held teams to 29.8% from three and 43.3% from inside the arc. The only area where Houston has struggled is on the defensive glass. The Cougars have also fouled at a high rate.
With that said, A&M should be able to earn second chances off its misses. When the Aggies get to the foul line, expect them to hit around 70%. That’s what the Aggies have averaged. They’ve hit 71% from the foul line this season, which isn’t all that good.
Houston’s offense hasn’t been stellar. The Cougars have shot 35% from three and 48.8% from inside the arc. They’ve kept turnovers down and continue to succeed on the offensive glass.
Texas A&M has held teams to 27.8% of offensive rebounds. That’s a better defensive rate for A&M in comparison to Houston.
Meanwhile, Houston has also shot just 69.1% from the foul line this season. The Aggies aren’t Houston defensively, but they’re still above average in every main category. The Aggies have held teams to 33.9% from three and 49.6% from inside the arc. They’ve also fouled at a lesser rate.
That said, we won’t guarantee a Texas A&M win, but it’s absolutely in the cards with how the Aggies have played recently. Texas A&M should have more possessions and will likely get to the foul line at a higher rate.
Now that you have your Houston vs Texas A&M betting news, consider backing the A&M Aggies at +9.5 (-110). If you want to be really daring, take the Underdog straight up with your college basketball picks.
For NCAAB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
