Penn State vs Texas A&M Odds, Spread & Predictions

March 12, 2023; Chicago, IL, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jalen Pickett (22) drives to the basket against Purdue Boilermakers guard Ethan Morton (25) in the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

• Texas A&M are 3-point favorites over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the NCAA tournament on Thursday, March 16th
• The seventh-place Aggies face the tenth-place Nittany Lions to see who advances to the second round
• Below are Penn St. and Texas A&M odds and tips for Thursday night

Now that first-round game of the NCAA tournament appears to be between the seventh-seeded Texas A&M Aggies (30-2, 18-14 ATS) and the tenth-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions (24-8, 16-15-1 ATS). be yourself. This game is from the Midwest region. A potential date with Texas would likely be next for the winner.

Odds makers are set on aggies on this game as the numbers were off by three to four points depending on the side.

Odds between Penn St. and Texas A&M

Texas A&M was a little upset with their seed as they watched the March Madness bracket. Both the Aggies and Nittany Lions are deep in the red in March Madness odds.

This contest is scheduled to start on Thursday, March 16 at 9:55pm ET at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. The game will be on TBS. Texas A&M is currently a -150 favorite to beat Penn State.

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Penn State vs. Texas A&M betting trends

Texas A&M feels like it has something to prove. Well, this was an Aggies team that won 15 games in the SEC Conference but lost to the 1-seed in their conference tournament. Can they turn that anger into a win on Thursday night? It won’t be that easy. Both teams come into play hot. The Aggies have won ten of their last 12 games on the money line. Penn St. countered with an eight-of-ten win.

With a total of 134.5 points, the over/under is quite good. Also, both teams are capable of 72 points per game while allowing less than 70 points per competition. Buzz Williams and his Aggies are a hair’s breadth ahead, scoring 66.2 points per match. The big thing at Texas A&M is pace. They slow things down and only allow the thirteenth fewest field goal attempts in the country. Yes, it is important to pay attention to the number on the over/under.

Penn State will make things interesting

It’s the concept that the Penn State Nittany Lions highlight in the mistakes Texas A&M often makes. For example, Penn State doesn’t turn the ball a ton. Texas A&M loves to create opportunity through revenue. It allows them to dictate a slower pace to the game. Being in the top 5 with the fewest turnovers could help against the Aggies.

3-POINT TOURNAMENT TEAMS

The five tournament teams shooting the highest percentage of 3-pointers per field goal attempt include:

Alabama (47.8%)
Charleston (47.4%)
Pennsylvania (47.4%)
Furman (46.4%)
Oral Roberts (45.8%)

— Jim Degeorgia (@jdmoose65) March 15, 2023

Penn State tries some three-point shots. They often live and die by being shot. Seth Lundy and Andrew Funk both attempt more than six per match while only making 40% of their shots outside of the arc. Jalen Pickett invades, prepares and scores for the Nittany Lions. Ultimately, Pickett could cause most of the matchup problems for Texas A&M on Thursday. The senior guard knows he has to get to the tire.

Texas A&M and the Charity Stripe

Texas A&M has no one threatening to win at the Wooden Award odds, but this Aggies team excels at getting to the foul line. For the most part, they also do their recordings. Texas A&M shoots 76.2% from the line and attempts more fouls than any other team in the nation. Penn State is in big trouble if they can’t stay out of bad trouble.

The Texas A&M men’s basketball team is participating in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2018.

The Aggies are seed seven and will face Penn State in the first round in Des Moines.

— Eric Kelly (@EricKellyTV) March 12, 2023

Frankly, Texas A&M thinks they can make it to the Sweet 16. While that may be true, the Aggies can easily lose this first-round matchup. Texas A&M must get Penn State into dire trouble and find a way to stop Jalen Pickett. Pickett is a second Team AP All-American for a reason. He makes the Nittany Lions very dangerous. The Aggies can’t take him out completely even with Dexter Dennis (a decommissioned Senior Guard). Pickett is so good.

Penn State vs Texas A&M Prediction

Penn State and Texas A&M split this matchup almost in half when playing 100 times. Micah Shrewsberry feels no pressure compared to Buzz Williams. Williams and his Aggies want to silence the critics. The only way to do that is to win. This Nittany Lions team has won five of their last six ATS. Don’t be surprised if they find a way to cover and even win outright.

Choice: Penn State Moneyline (+126)

Other March Madness predictions for the first round:

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