In a rematch of last year's first round NCAA Tournament matchup, the Penn State Nittany Lions will battle the 12th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies on Thursday in the first round of the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational. The Nittany Lions (4-0), who have outscored their opposition by 96 points so far this season, are coming off a 74-51 win over Morehead State on Friday. The Aggies (4-0), who are third nationally with just 7.3 turnovers per game, are coming off a 74-66 win over Oral Roberts. Texas A&M has a plus-14 rebounding margin, while Penn State is a minus-1.
Tip-off from State Farm Field House in Orlando, Fla., is set for noon ET. Texas A&M leads the all-time series 4-1, including a 2-1 edge at neutral courts. The Aggies are 7.5-point favorites in the latest Penn State vs. Texas A&M odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 135. Before making any Texas A&M vs. Penn State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 3 of the 2023-24 season on an 88-57 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. Anyone who followed it saw huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Penn State vs. Texas A&M and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Texas A&M vs. Penn State:
- Penn State vs. Texas A&M spread: Texas A&M -7.5
- Penn State vs. Texas A&M over/under: 135 points
- Penn State vs. Texas A&M money line: Penn State +274, Texas A&M -345
- PSU: Has hit the money line in 19 of its last 31 games (+10.35 units)
- TAM: Has hit the game total under in 14 of its last 20 games as the home team (+7.40 units)
- Penn State vs. Texas A&M: See picks here
Why Texas A&M can cover
The Aggies have three players averaging double-digit scoring, led by junior guard Wade Taylor IV. His best game was a 21-point effort in a 73-66 win at Ohio State on Nov. 10. He scored 15 points, made six steals, dished out five assists and grabbed two rebounds in a 79-66 victory at SMU on Nov. 14. For the season, he is averaging 17 points, 4.8 assists, 3.3 steals and three rebounds in 29 minutes of action.
Senior guard Tyrece Radford is also off to a solid start to his season. He has scored 20 or more points in two games, and is averaging 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 30.3 minutes of action. Radford started every game for Texas A&M over the past two seasons, including 40 in 2021-22 and 35 last season. He is a 2023 Preseason All-SEC second-team selection, and is a 2023 All-SEC second-team pick by the coaches. See which team to pick here.
Why Penn State can cover
The Nittany Lions are led by sophomore guard Kanye Clary, who tops the team with 17.5 points per game. He registered 14 points behind an 8-for-9 effort at the free throw line and added four rebounds, two assists and two steals against Morehead State on Friday. He opened the year with back-to-back 20-point performances against Delaware State and Lehigh. As a true freshman in 2022-23, he played in 32 games for the Nittany Lions and had four double-digit scoring efforts.
Also powering Penn State is senior forward Qudus Wahab, who is averaging a double-double with 11 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. He registered his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds against Moreland State on Friday. He is in his first season with the Nittany Lions and has 1,030 career points and 737 rebounds while playing in 119 collegiate games. He has made 88 starts between three seasons at Georgetown and one at Maryland. See which team to pick here.
How to make Penn State vs. Texas A&M picks
SportsLine's model has simulated Texas A&M vs. Penn State 10,000 times is leaning Over on the total. In fact, it says PSU's RayQuawndis Mitchell will score more than 10 points over his season average, while A&M's Jace Carter will better his average by more than five points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 80% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Penn State vs. Texas A&M, and which side of the spread hits in almost 80% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is up over $1,700 since last season, and find out.
