March Madness Round 1: Texas A&M vs Nebraska Odds & Score

Texas A&M vs Nebraska Final Score

Texas A&M vs Nebraska Odds & Preview

Texas A&M (20-14) takes on Nebraska (23-10) in a South Region matchup Friday night. As expected in an No. 8 vs No. 9 game, the game is pretty much a toss-up and that’s reflected in the Texas A&M vs Nebraska odds.

The Cornhuskers have the better record, but the Aggies have played a tougher schedule. It has the makings of one of the better NCAA men’s basketball games today. The Cornhuskers are favored by 1.5 points and the total on the game is 146.5.

Aggies One of Worst Shooting Teams Still Playing

Texas A&M does some good things offensively, however shooting is not one of them. The Aggies are one of the worst shooting teams in the country. Texas A&M is plain brutal from 3-point range, making 28.4% of its long-range shots. That’s No. 353 out of 362 in the nation. The 2-point shooting isn’t much better.

The Aggies rank No. 301 there. Texas A&M is below average from the foul line. What the Aggies do well is crash the offense glass, ranking No. 1 in the nation in offensive rebounds. They’re also one of the better teams in the country at getting to the foul line and not making turnovers.

Texas A&M is solid defensively, holding teams to 42.5% shooting. The Aggies are a little better against the 2-pointer than the 3-pointer. Texas A&M is average when it comes to forcing turnovers or allowing offensive rebounds. The Aggies see 37.4% of the points scored against them come from 3-point range.

Texas A&M is just 16-18 against the spread this season. The team is 6-5 ATS as an underdog and 5-2 against the spread on neutral courts. The Aggies were a solid overall team during the season, going 21-13. Texas A&M is 8-0 in totals after scoring 80 or more points and 6-0 after allowing 80 points. The Aggies enter the game off a 95-90 loss to Florida.

Nebraska Cashing Tickets as Favorite

The Cornhuskers find themselves as one of the March Madness favorites in this game, which is their preferred role. Nebraska is an impressive 15-4 against the spread when favored this season. The ‘Huskers are 6-8 ATS when not favored this season.

Nebraska also showed a strong over tendency during the year, going 21-11, including an 11-5 mark after scoring 80 points. The Cornhuskers were just 10-8-1 in totals when favored.

Nebraska shoots the ball fairly well. The Cornhuskers can score from 2- or 3-point range and doesn’t make a lot of turnovers. They don’t grab many offensive rebounds and are a little below average at getting to the foul line. Nebraska shoots 35.8% from 3-point range, so teams have to respect the outside game.

The ‘Husker defense is pretty stout. Nebraska ranks No. 14 in the country in 2-point defense and is No. 65 in 3-point defense. The Cornhuskers don’t force a whole lot of turnovers and give up a few too many offensive rebounds.

What to Expect

The Aggies don’t play at a very fast pace, while the Cornhuskers like a steady tempo. Texas A&M will try to get the ball inside, but will have to do so against Nebraska’s interior defense. It won’t be easy.

The Cornhuskers will force the tempo a little more than usual and try and get some open looks from the outside. Nebraska scores 36.6% of its points from 3-point territory and might find a little success from behind the arc.

Who to Bet On?

The Texas A&M vs Nebraska odds are calling for a close game and it’s hard to disagree. Of all the NCAAB scores on Friday, this game is one of the more unpredictable. The trends favor Nebraska due to its ATS record as a favorite, but the Aggies aren’t going to be pushovers. This is a team that thumped Tennessee and beat Iowa State on a neutral court.

The Texas A&M vs Nebraska odds on the total is where things really get interesting. It’s a game where nearly all of the trends are calling for an over, but it’s seldom as easy as that. The Aggies could have a tough time scoring against a decent Nebraska defense, but they’ve scored 80 or more points in four straight games. The Cornhuskers have gone over in their last three contests.

From a pure value standpoint, Nebraska should be favored by 2 points, so there is no real leeway in that regard. The total is pretty much the same, but there’s a shade of value on the under despite the trends. The officials could change all of that and call a tight game, which would be horrible for under bettors.

It’s a tough game to predict, but the under 146.5 looks to be the play in this one.

For NCAAB news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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