The No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies will be at Auburn Arena to face off against the Auburn Tigers in a Southeastern matchup. Action starts at 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 1 and can be seen on ESU and ES3.
The Tigers are hoping for a better outcome after their 65-57 loss to Alabama on Saturday. Bryce Brown was the team’s leading scorer, finishing with 14 points.
The Tigers might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they face off against one of the nation’s best defenses. The Aggies rank 34th in defensive efficiency, while Auburn ranks 294th in offensive efficiency.
The Tigers are trying to improve upon their records of 11-17 Straight Up (SU) and 12-15 Against The Spread (ATS). The Tigers are one of the best in Division I in terms of three-point field goals, making 9.0 shots per game from beyond the arc. The Auburn defense has been shutting down opposing offenses over the past 10 games, only allowing an average of 70.1 points per game, well under their season average of 77.3.
On the other side, the Aggies have records of 12-11-2 ATS and 22-7 SU. The Aggies have been struggling of late. In their most recent 10 games, their scoring has dropped to 64.1 PPG, compared to 71.6 for the duration of the season. Defenses have a tough time accounting for every player when up against the Aggies, who are known for distributing the ball with 17.4 assists per game. The Texas A&M defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking 36th in Division I with only 65.9 points allowed per game. Texas A&M may be taking trips to the free throw line early and often with the Tigers averaging 21.6 fouls per game, one of the highest marks in Division I.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time these conference rivals played, Texas A&M won, moving its SU record against Auburn to 6-2 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. Furthermore, Texas A&M holds the advantage ATS with a record of 5-3. Texas A&M held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five game, while Auburn wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – TexA&M, ATS Winner – TexA&M
Notes
Auburn averages 71.6 points per game, placing the team just 171st in the nation. Texas A&M ranks 36th in points allowed, giving up 65.9 points per game.
Auburn scores just 77.8 points per home game (ranked 118th). Texas A&M ranks 38th in points allowed on the road, giving up 68.5 points.
Ranked 63rd, the Texas A&M Aggies have an offensive rating of 111.6. The Auburn Tigers rank 222nd with a defensive rating of just 107.1.
Auburn has an average field goal percentage of 40.0%. Texas A&M is a winning 12-5 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Auburn Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Auburn is 331st and 276th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Texas A&M is 100th and 80th in these categories.
Ranked ninth in the nation, Texas A&M has an average of 17.4 assists per game. Auburn ranks lower at 294th with 11.6.
Auburn, the 96th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.1 per game. Texas A&M does worse, ranked 151st with 3.6.
The Texas A&M Aggies rank 79th in offensive rebounds. The Auburn Tigers rank 139th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Texas A&M has forced an average turnover percentage of 21.5% this season. Auburn has a subpar 2-5 record when its TO% is 21.5% or higher.
