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USATSI

Neither Washington State nor Texas A&M has ever won a National Invitation Tournament title, but one of the upstart programs is guaranteed a chance to compete for one after they meet Tuesday night in the 2002 NIT semifinals in New York City. The Aggies (26-12) and Cougars (22-14) arrived at the semifinals behind three dominant victories each in the preceding rounds. Now, they have a chance to compete for a rare postseason championship. Neither program has won the NIT since its inception in 1938. Stanford, in 2015, was the last Pac-12 club to win the NIT, while South Carolina last represented the SEC with back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006.

Tipoff from the famed Madison Square Garden is set for 9:30 p.m. ET. The Aggies are 1.5-point favorites and the over-under for total points scored is 132 in the latest Washington State vs. Texas A&M odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Before making any Texas A&M vs. Washington State picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Texas A&M vs. Washington State and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NIT 2022. You can head to SportsLine to see all of the model's college basketball picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Washington State vs. Texas A&M:

  • Washington State vs. Texas A&M point spread: Texas A&M -1.5
  • Washington State vs. Texas A&M over-under total: 133 points
  • Washington State vs. Texas A&M money line: Texas A&M -125, Washington State +105
  • WSU: The Cougars are 11-5 against the spread in their past 16 neutral-site games as an underdog.
  • TAMU: The Aggies are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games against opponents with winning records.

Why Texas A&M can cover

Like many NIT contenders before them, the Aggies have used their exclusion from the NCAA Tournament as motivation to prove the decision makers for the 68-team field made a mistake. Even so, Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams has taken this dynamic to perhaps an unseen level.

Williams has repeatedly lambasted the NCAA Tournament selection committee publicly even as the Aggies have moved forward through the NIT. The committee said the Aggies were doomed by an eight-game losing streak in SEC play, a relatively modest slate of quality wins outside of the conference and that they weren't particularly close to making the final cut despite a run to the SEC Tournament title game against Tennessee.

Still, his team has played like one with a firm mission at hand, turning up the intensity with its already aggressive and active defense to squash every opponent's offensive attack. The Aggies have allowed just 58 points per game in their NIT run and are coming off a 67-52 over a capable Wake Forest club. They held the Demon Deacons to 34 percent shooting and forced 21 turnovers while leading wire to wire.

Why Washington State can cover

Although it stands to reason that any team that goes deep in a postseason tournament is likely playing its best basketball of the season, the Cougars have taken this dynamic to extremes. Coach Kyle Smith recently told the media his team's ascension is akin to an NBA team gelling at the right time and making a deep playoff run as a lower seed.

Much of the late-season success can be attributed to a roster that battled injury issues all year but is finally healthy and Smith's nine-man rotation has seen every player step up at key moments while also providing a daunting front court that is capable of matching muscle with physical opponents.

The Cougars continue to set milestones with every postseason win. They broke a 19-game home winning streak for SMU in their 75-63 victory and their subsequent 77-58 win over BYU came against a Cougars club that had been 15-2 on its home floor. The NCAA NET rankings graded those performances as Washington State's best of the season.

"We've talked about it all year... playing our best now, and we've been getting better in certain areas," Smith said. 

How to make Washington State vs. Texas A&M picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 136 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 70 percent of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Texas A&M vs. Washington State? And which side of the spread hits almost 70 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.