The No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies (22-12) square off against the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines (30-7) in the Sweet Sixteen at Staples Center. The Wolverines opened as a 3-point favorite. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 133.5 points and it starts at 7:37 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 22, 2018.
Texas A&M Aggies vs. Michigan Wolverines Betting Odds
Both teams were victorious in their last game. The Wolverines barely escaped the No. 6 Houston Cougars 64-63, while the Aggies won big over the No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels 86-65.
Texas A&M dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a free throw rate of 0.233 (above their season average of 0.216) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.600 (above their season average of 0.512). North Carolina recorded marks of 0.090 and 0.372, respectively, for those same stats. Meanwhile, Michigan’s turnover percentage was their biggest strength over Houston. The Wolverines had a rate of 9.4 (better than their season average of 12.6), while the Cougars posted a mark of 13.6. Michigan received a boost from Moritz Wagner, who put up 12 points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Tyler Davis led the way for Texas A&M, contributing 18 points and nine rebounds.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the prolific offense of Michigan takes on the stingy defense of Texas A&M. The Wolverines rank 41st in offensive efficiency, while the Aggies are 59th in defensive efficiency. Also, the Aggies, who rank 35th in offensive rebounding percentage (34.0 percent), will face a difficult challenge against the Wolverines, who rank 40th in defensive rebounding percentage (75.2 percent).
Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Aggies games, with 16 overs compared to 15 unders. Texas A&M comes into the game with records of 22-12 straight up (SU) and 15-16 against the spread (ATS).
Vegas has been spot on when predicting totals of Wolverines games, with an even split between overs and unders. Further, Michigan owns records of 30-7 SU and 23-13 ATS.
Texas A&M Aggies vs. Michigan Wolverines ATS Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Michigan, ATS Winner – Texas A&M, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Texas A&M ranks third in rebounds per game (41.6) while Michigan ranks 248th (33.5).
- The Wolverines rank third in steals allowed per game (4.1) while the Aggies rank 152nd (6.3).
- Texas A&M ranks fifth in blocks per game (6.0) while Michigan ranks 144th (3.2).
- The Wolverines rank seventh in three pointers allowed per game (16.4) while the Aggies rank 230th (23.5).
- Michigan ranks 14th in assists allowed per game (10.3) while Texas A&M ranks 232nd (14.4).
Bettings Trends:
- The Aggies’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.4, down from 5.6 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Wolverines have scored an average of 70.4 points per game (3.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 59.6 points per game (3.5 below their season average).
