Offense meets defense when the LSU Tigers (11-7, 2-4 SEC) welcome the Texas A&M Aggies (13-6, 2-5 SEC) to Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 23, 2018, and will air on ESPNU.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 142 points with Texas A&M opening as a 3-point favorite.
Texas A&M Aggies at LSU Tigers ATS Prediction
In the Aggies’ last game, they beat the Missouri Tigers, 60-49. The Aggies had an absurdly low turnover percentage of 5.5 (better than their season average of 17.1) and held the Tigers to an offensive rebounding percentage of 16.3 (below their season average of 36.2). Texas A&M rallied around Tyler Davis, who recorded 11 points and 14 rebounds.
The Tigers were beaten by the Vanderbilt Commodores in their last matchup, 77-71. One of Vanderbilt’s largest advantages was getting to the charity stripe. They had 30 free throw attempts, while LSU had 21. Duop Reath put together a good game for LSU, leading both teams in scoring with 31 points on 13-for-20 shooting.
This showdown pits one of the NCAA’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses. LSU ranks 21st in offensive efficiency and Texas A&M is 44th in defensive efficiency. Additionally, the Aggies rank 52nd in offensive rebounding percentage (34.1 percent), while the Tigers rank 278th in defensive rebounding percentage (68.7 percent).
Texas A&M has a respectable 13-6 straight up (SU) record, but they have a difficult time covering the spread (7-9 against the spread (ATS)). Aggies games tend to finish under the total (62.5 percent).
Meanwhile, LSU is 11-7 SU and 7-6-2 ATS. Coinciding with Texas A&M, games including the Tigers also have a tendency to finish under the total (60.0 percent).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Tremont Waters scored a game-high 21 points and the Tigers, who were 6.5-point underdogs, beat the Aggies 69-68. He also had five rebounds. The game finished with a total of 137 points, which was 10.5 points below the projected point total of 147.5 points. LSU was lights out from beyond the arc (12-28; 42.9 percent). Texas A&M, meanwhile, had a much better free throw rate (0.339 vs. 0.150).
Texas A&M Aggies at LSU Tigers Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Texas A&M, ATS Winner – Texas A&M, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Texas A&M is 5-3 ATS with 5 unders and 3 overs.
LSU is 3-3-2 ATS at home with 5 unders and 3 overs.
Texas A&M ranks fourth in rebounds per game (42.0) while LSU ranks 196th (34.7).
The Tigers rank 48th in assists allowed per game (11.6) while the Aggies rank 174th (14.2).
LSU ranks 113th in three pointers attempted per game (22.8) while Texas A&M ranks 237th in three pointers allowed per game (24.5).
The Tigers rank 39th in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while the Aggies rank 133rd (4.1).
LSU ranks 54th in steals per game (7.3) while Texas A&M ranks 104th in steals allowed per game (6.3).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Texas A&M is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
LSU is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Aggies have been outscored by an average of 0.4 points in their last five games. On the season, Texas A&M has defeated opponents by an average of 8.7 points.
During their last five games, the Tigers have scored an average of 68.2 points per game (11.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 66.8 points per game (4.8 below their season average).
