Some SEC action will surely involve plenty of fireworks as the Texas A&M Aggies battle it out on the hardwood with the Vanderbilt Commodores. Join us for our College Basketball odds series where our Texas A&M-Vanderbilt prediction and pick will be made.
Entering play with a 15-8 record and a 6-4 mark within the conference, the Aggies need every win they can get with their March Madness hopes hanging in the balance. Luckily, A&M have been trending in the right direction of late with three consecutive wins under their belts including a valiant 85-69 win over the highly-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, do the Aggies have enough in the tank to reach the finish line of the regular season with their ticket punched to the Big Dance?
Meanwhile, Vanderbilt remains as one of the worst teams in the conference. Although they were able to nab a seven-point victory at home over Missouri on Feb.3rd, they have gone down in defeat two straight times ever since. Overall, the Commodores are 6-17 and possess a bottom-dwelling 1-9 record in the SEC. In front of their home crowd, can Vandy pull off the upset?
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Texas A&M-Vanderbilt Odds
Texas A&M: -8.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -450
Vanderbilt: +8.5 (-105)
Moneyline: +340
Over: 135.5 (-110)
Under: 135.5 (-110)
How to Watch Texas A&M vs. Vanderbilt
Time: 8:00 ET/5:00 PT
TV: ESPNU
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Texas A&M Will Cover The Spread/Win
In order for the Aggies to have their way with the Commodores resulting in a covering of the spread, look no further than the SEC's third-leading scorer to help pave the way. Not needing an introduction, junior guard Wade Taylor IV is proving that he is one of the more electrifying playmakers at his respective positions in all of the country. In fact, Wade is averaging a whopping 19.9 points per game and is also coming of a heroic performance against Tennessee in which he dropped 25 points in the scoring department along with dishing out seven assists to his teammates as well. At the end of the day, Wade is the motor of this team, and they will only go as far as he takes them.
Not to mention, but the Aggies' extremely slow pace on the offensive end may benefit them by the time the clock hits triple zeroes. Believe it or not, Texas A&M ranks 318th in the nation in terms of pace of play. Because of this, expect the Aggies to control the tempo and take their time seeking high-percentage looks. As long as the Aggies don't turn the ball over and avoid being careless, then only good things will occur.
Why Vanderbilt Will Cover The Spread/Win
On the other side of things, Vanderbilt's season has been downright ugly, to say the least, but anything can happen on the basketball court. Certainly, the odds are stacked against the Commodores in this one, but don't be sleeping on the fact that Vandy can string together some solid possessions in a row thanks to their slow pace as well.
Still, this is a program that has endured seven-straight losses in which they went down in defeat by at least ten points. If the Commodores are going to compete in front of their home fans in surprising fashion, then ultimately getting out to a quick start and storming out of the gates with a whole lot of energy will prove to be vital.
Above all else, Vandy's strength is obviously in their backcourt. Relying on the hefty shoulders of dynamic duo Ezra Manjon and Tyrin Lawrence is going to be an absolute must. Thus far, the pair of guards are both hovering around the 14.o points per game mark and are easily the two best players on this roster. More times than not, Vandy will want to make sure that the basketball is in their hands as much as possible.
Indeed, this is a team that is still attempting to find their identity heading into the final month of the regular season. Searching for even the faintest of heartbeats to get to where they want to be heading into the SEC Tournament, Vandy will need to use their home-court advantage to their benefit. If they can get energized by the crowd, then that same energy can be used on both ends of the floor to wreak havoc in the turnover department while also knocking down some open looks.
Final Texas A&M-Vanderbilt Prediction & Pick
Vanderbilt is at home, but that is about the only thing that will be in favor of the Commodores later this evening. After it was Texas A&M that just beat the rails off of a top-ranked Tennessee squad, they are surely the safe pick in this one.
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Final Texas A&M-Vanderbilt Prediction & Pick: Texas A&M -8.5 (-115)
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