A couple of schools that like to run the football, Head Coach Mark Stoops and the No. 13 Kentucky Wildcats (+5) are set to face off against their conference counterpart Texas A&M Aggies (-5) at Kyle Field. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:00 p.m. ET and interested parties can tune in to the action on ESPN.
Kentucky Wildcats at Texas A&M Aggies Betting Preview
The Wildcats enter into this Saturday SEC game as the dog here and they’re currently getting 5 points. The Wildcats are also receiving +180 moneyline odds while the Aggies are -220. Oddsmakers have set the over/under (O/U) at 53 points. There should be multiple good live betting opportunities in this game.
The early action has moved in favor of both the Wildcats and the under. The line initially opened at -7 and the over/under was originally 54.
The profitable Wildcats have gained 9.3 units this season and are 3-2 against the spread (ATS). They’ve been a good under bet and have posted an O/U record of 1-3. The Aggies have gained 0.0 units for moneyline bettors so far. They’re 4-1 ATS and have an even O/U record of 2-2.
The Wildcats have gone 5-0 straight up (SU), including 3-0 SU against conference opponents. The Aggies are 3-2 SU overall and 1-1 SU in conference play.
The Wildcats are hoping to remain undefeated following a 24-10 victory over South Carolina last week. Terry Wilson completed 13-of-20 passes for only 132 yards and one interception. Benny Snell (99 yards on 28 rush attempts, one TD) and the signal-caller Wilson (59 yards on nine carries, one TD) led the ground attack in the win. Lynn Bowden (four receptions, 18 yards) and C.J. Conrad (three catches, 31 yards) shared the receiving duties.
Texas A&M is coming off of a 24-17 win over Arkansas. The Aggies defense held its ground in the victory, holding the Razorbacks to just 193 passing yards and 55 yards on the ground. Rakeem Boyd had a good showing in the loss, posting 47 rushing yards on 10 attempts for Arkansas. For Texas A&M, Kellen Mond completed 17-of-26 passes for 201 yards and two interceptions. Trayveon Williams (152 yards on 29 rush attempts, two TDs) and the signal-caller Mond (14 yards on 11 carries) handled the ground attack in the win as Camron Buckley (five receptions, 72 yards) and Hezekiah Jones (four catches, 33 yards) led the pass-catching corps.
Kentucky has run the ball on 67.1 percent of its offensive plays this year, including 72.8 percent across possessions in conference play. Texas A&M has a run percentage of 55.2 percent, and has rushed the ball 51.4 percent of the time against SEC opponents. The Wildcats have produced 254 rush yards per game (including 242 per game versus Southeastern opponents) and have 16 scores via handoffs this year. The Aggies are putting up 232 rushing yards per game (153 in conference) and have 12 total rush TDs.
If the results so far this season can translate to this game, then it seems like the Wildcats could own an edge when it comes to quarterback protection, as their offensive line has yielded just 31 sacks while the D-line logged 30 sacks. The Aggies O-line has given up 29 sacks and their defense has recorded only 43 sacks.
The Wildcats offensive scheme has tallied 153 yards/contest through the air overall (118 per game against conference opposition) and has five passing scores so far. The Aggies have produced 280 pass yards per contest (232.0 against SEC foes) and have eight total pass TDs.
On the defensive side of the ball, Kentucky appears to have the upper hand when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has allowed 110 rush yards and 177 pass yards per game. The Texas A&M defense has given up 272.2 yards per game to opposing passers and 80.6 yards per game to opposing runners. The Wildcats are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 3.26 to opposing QBs, while the Aggies have given up an ugly 8.78 ANY/A.
Passing-wise, Wilson is up to 524 yards on the year. He’s connected on 54-of-79 attempts with two passing scores and four interceptions. Wilson’s got a 4.67 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 2.24 over the last two outings.
In the host locker room, Kellen Mond has completed 73-of-115 passes for 1,025 yards, six TDs and two INTs. Mond’s ANY/A stands at 8.09 for the year and 2.72 over his past two games.
These two conference foes did not get a chance to face one another in 2017.
RELATED: Week 6 College Football Betting Odds and Predictions
Betting Pick: Kentucky Wildcats at Texas A&M Aggies
SU Winner – Kentucky, ATS Winner – Kentucky, O/U – Under
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Team Betting Trends
Both teams have lost three fumbles this year.
The Kentucky defense has 12 sacks on the year while Texas A&M has 10.
Kentucky has produced 4.91911764705882 yards per carry over its last three games and 4.6 over its last two.
Texas A&M has averaged 4.9 yards per carry over its last three contests and 4.1 over its past two.
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