Subscribe
Follow Us
The Oregon State Beavers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Oregon State Texas A&M prediction and pick.
The Oregon State Beavers had an abysmal season one year ago. They were 3-28, a spectacular collapse after making the Elite Eight in 2021. It was one of the most dramatic season-to-season changes for any single school in the history of college basketball: one game from the Final Four in 2021, three games from a completely winless season in 2022. Oregon State was bound to be better this season than last season, and that has proved to be true. However, it's not as though Oregon State is in any position to get back to the NCAA Tournament. The Beavers have lost four of their last five games. It's true that the opponents have largely been Power Five conference foes. Yet, Oregon State isn't collecting the kinds of wins which are part of an NCAA Tournament resume. The Beavers have lost to Duke, Florida and USC in the past two weeks. They also fell to Portland State as well. Their only win was a victory over Washington in Pac-12 play. Oregon State shows occasional flashes of brilliance, as it did when it built a double-digit lead over Washington, but Oregon State then loses focus — it fell behind Washington before rallying in the final half-minute to survive that game — and can't sustain a high level of play for 40 minutes. That is the mark of a team which is 4-5 through nine games and is looking for better, more convincing answers this season.
Texas A&M made a big run at the NCAA Tournament last season. The Aggies defeated top-seeded Auburn in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament, and many people felt that win was going to be enough to put the Aggies, a bubble team, into the NCAA Tournament. However, Texas A&M did not hear its name called on Selection Sunday, a bitter disappointment for head coach Buzz Williams and his players. The obvious solution to the problem of getting into the NCAA Tournament was for Texas A&M to play better in the early stages of a season, and not wait to make a late run in early March during conference tournament season.
The Aggies did not seem to learn the lesson. At the very least, they certainly haven't applied it.
A&M has lost three of its first eight games this season, falling to Murray State, Colorado, and Boise State. Murray State was an NCAA Tournament team last season, but it has lost some of the talent it had on its 2022 roster. Colorado is 0-2 in Pac-12 play and yet crushed the Aggies by 28 points, a loss which will look horrible for A&M on Selection Sunday. The Aggies also fell to Boise State, which has been decent but hardly spectacular in the first month of this college basketball campaign. Losing one of those three games would probably be fine, but losing all three of those games puts A&M clearly behind schedule in the attempt to build an NCAA Tournament-level resume. Buzz Williams is not making the grade in College Station. He certainly knows he needs to get more out of his team, and he more specifically knows he has to get his team to play consistently well on offense. Ultimately, the Aggies are too much of a hit-and-miss team which blows hot and cold and can't form a stable identity.
Here are the Oregon State-Texas A&M NCAA Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Oregon State-Texas A&M Odds
Oregon State Beavers: +14.5 (+100)
Texas A&M Aggies: -14.5 (-122)
Over: 135.5 (-115)
Under: 135.5 (-105)
Why Oregon State Could Cover the Spread
The A&M offense is unreliable. Oregon State can muck this game up and stay close.
Why Texas A&M Could Cover the Spread
Texas A&M hasn't played in a full week. Expect the Aggies to be full of energy and to play every possession with passion, leading to a complete performance which will lead to a 25-point win.
Final Oregon State-Texas A&M Prediction & Pick
This is a game to stay away from, because neither team can or should be trusted. If you insist on a pick, lean to Oregon State.
Final Oregon State-Texas A&M Prediction & Pick: Oregon State +14.5
