No. 9 seed Texas A&M will try to take down one of the NCAA Tournament favorites when it faces No. 1 seed Houston in the second round on Sunday night. The Aggies kept their season alive with a 98-83 win over No. 8 seed Nebraska on Friday, taking the lead midway through the first half and never relenting. Houston had its 11-game winning streak snapped in a loss to Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament title game, but the Cougars bounced back with an 86-46 win over No. 16 seed Longwood on Friday. The Cougars beat the Aggies by four points when these teams met in Houston on Dec. 16.
Tipoff is set for 8:40 p.m. ET from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn. The Cougars are 9.5-point favorites in the latest Houston vs. Texas A&M odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under is 134.5. Before making any Texas A&M vs. Houston picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Houston vs. Texas A&M. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Texas A&M vs. Houston:
- Houston vs. Texas A&M spread: Houston -9.5
- Houston vs. Texas A&M over/under: 134.5 points
- Houston vs. Texas A&M money line: Houston -497, Texas A&M +373
- HOU: 4-1 ATS in its last five games
- TEXAM: 6-1 ATS in its last seven games
- Houston vs. Texas A&M picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Houston can cover
Houston has had its sights set on the national championship since the beginning of the season, and its experienced lineup is trying to break through this year. The Cougars won the Big 12 regular-season title in their first season in the conference, and they opened the NCAA Tournament with a focused, intense performance on Friday. They were no match for Longwood from the onset, racing out to a 10-0 lead and never looking back in an 86-46 final.
Senior guards L.J. Cryer and Damian Dunn each scored 17 points, while Big 12 Player of the Year Jamal Shead added 11 points and nine assists. The Cougars were able to rest their starters down the stretch, leaving them as the fresher team for Sunday's contest. Houston has covered the spread in four of its last five games and is 12-1 in its last 13 contests. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
Why Texas A&M can cover
Texas A&M already gave Houston some trouble once this season, covering the spread as a 7-point underdog in a 70-66 final back in December. The Aggies trailed by 21 points early in the second half, but they tied the game with 1:31 remaining before ultimately losing by four points. Junior guard Wade Taylor IV lit up Houston's defense, finishing with 34 points and four assists.
Taylor, who averages 19.0 points, 4.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game, had 25 points and five dimes against Nebraska on Friday. The Aggies also have veteran guard Tyrece Radford, who posted a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win over the Cornhuskers. Texas A&M has covered the spread in six of its last seven games and the Aggies have already knocked off teams like Tennessee, Kentucky (twice) and Iowa State this season. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
How to make Houston vs. Texas A&M picks
The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 137 points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Texas A&M vs. Houston, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that is 29-19 on top-rated college basketball spread picks this season.
