The No. 15-ranked Texas A&M Aggies (13-2) and the Southeastern’s top-ranked offense welcome the Florida Gators (10-5) and the fourth-ranked defense in the conference. The game gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 12 and can be seen on SEC and ES3.
The Aggies defeated Tennessee 92-88 on Saturday. Jalen Jones led all scorers on the team with 27 points on 10-for-15 shooting. The Gators are coming off a 68-62 win against LSU on Saturday. Justin Leon shot 6 for 8 and led in scoring with 14 points.
Over the last five games, Jones has taken his game to another level for the Aggies. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers.
The game should be a matchup of strength against strength, as the high-powered offense of Texas A&M (32nd in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 115.5) takes on the stingy defense of Florida (17th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 91.6). Also, the Gators commit the 13th-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 15.1%), while the disruptive defense of the Aggies causes the 21st-most (opponents’ TO% of 23.2%).
Texas A&M is a five-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 136 points. The Aggies look to build on their records of 13-2 Straight Up (SU) and 5-3-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Texas A&M is known to control the offensive glass, where it racks up an impressive 13.3 offensive rebounds per game. Texas A&M is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.50.
As for their opponent, the Gators head into the game with records of 7-5-1 ATS and 10-5 SU. The Gators have controlled the offensive glass with an average of 14.5 offensive rebounds per game, 15th in the country.
This is the first meeting of the season for these conference foes. The last time they played, Florida came out on top, bringing its SU record in their most recent games to 4-1. Furthermore, with a 4-1 record, Florida has the advantage ATS. Florida held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Texas A&M never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – TexA&M, ATS Winner – TexA&M, O/U – Over
Notes
Texas A&M is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas A&M’s last 6 games.
Texas A&M is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Texas A&M is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Florida.
Texas A&M averages 80.1 points per game this season. Florida is one of the best teams in points allowed, giving up just 63.4 points per game (ranked 22nd).
Florida has allowed an average of 62.2 points per away game this season. Texas A&M averages 84.8 points per home game, ranking 52nd in scoring.
Ranked 17th, the Florida Gators have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 91.6 points per 100 possessions. The Texas A&M Aggies rank 32nd in offense, scoring 115.5 points in the same number of possessions.
On average, Texas A&M has 69.3 possessions per game and scores 1.155 points on each possession. Florida has both fewer possessions (69.0) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.055).
The Florida Gators average an effective field goal percentage of 46.4% this season. The Texas A&M Aggies have a stellar 6-1 record in games where opponents have an eFG% of 46.4% or greater.
On average, Texas A&M attempts 21.0 three pointers and Florida attempts 22.0. Both teams have winning records when they have 20 or more three point attempts. The Texas A&M Aggies sit at 9-2 and the Florida Gators are 8-3.
The 25th-ranked team in the category, Texas A&M has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.50 this season. Florida ranks 90th with an A/TO of 1.21.
Florida, the 17th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 42.1 rebounds per game. Texas A&M ranks 77th with 39.0.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, Florida ranks 15th. Texas A&M ranks 178th in defensive rebounds.
Though Texas A&M is one of the best in the country in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TO% of 23.2% (ranked 21st), Florida is undefeated (1-0) when its TO% is 23.2% or greater.
