Texas A&M opens as early favorite vs. Penn State in NCAA Tournament opening round
For the first time in five years Texas A&M (25-9, 15-3 SEC) will partake in the big dance as the No. 7 seed of the Midwest Region. Standing in their way are the No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions (22-13, 10-10 Big Ten), with the SEC-Big Ten matchup on deck for Thursday evening.
The sportsbooks have prepped the lines ahead of tip-off, and the oddsmakers are rolling with A&M early on.
The Aggies have opened as early favorites in their opening-round matchup, according to BetMGM. A&M is listed as a 3.5-point underdog versus Penn State and -165 on the moneyline.
Both of these teams have been excellent versus the spread this season, with Texas A&M boasting a 23-11-0 record compared to the Nittany Lions 20-13-2. The Aggies are 4-1 versus the spread in their last five games and 8-2 through their last 10 games overall. Penn State has a hot streak to their advantage, walking into Thursday’s matchup having covered in four straight games.
A&M is coming off an 82-63 loss to Alabama in the SEC title game, but their performance in Sunday’s matchup could ensure a bounce-back game versus Penn State. The Maroon and White shot just 29.7% from the floor while guard Wade Taylor IV went 3-for-11 with four turnovers.
Make no mistake, Texas A&M will clean things up ahead of their first NCAA Tournament action since 2018.
Tune in as the Aggies and Nittany Lions go head-to-head on Thursday, March 16. Tip-off for the first round matchup is set for 8:55 p.m. CT from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
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