The Texas A&M Aggies are coming off of one of the biggest romps we've seen in conference play this year. They held LSU to just 38 points, the lowest point total for a major conference team in 2015-16. They've got one less step to take to win the SEC Championship Game against the Kentucky Wildcats.
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HOW THE TEXAS A&M AGGIES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Aggies aren't going to have nearly as easy of a game on Sunday as they had on Saturday against LSU. The Bayou Bengals looked lifeless throughout, and to say that the game was embarrassing was an understatement.
That said, there's still plenty to like here about A&M heading into this game. It was able to win the first meeting of the year of these two in College Station in overtime, and that came because it had more heart.
Of course, that game was at home. This one, though technically a neutral site game, is going to feel like Rupp Arena. The Big Blue Nation played a huge role in the Cats' win over Georgia on Saturday afternoon, and they're sure to be a big factor in this game as well.
It's going to take another big game from Jalen Jones for the Aggies to win this one. Jones has had a relatively quietly SEC Tournament, scoring 25 points with 12 boards in just 45 minutes played in two games in Nashville. However, he hasn't been asked to do a ton in this tournament, and he might not leave the court in this game. Jones had 24 points and eight rebounds against Kentucky in February, and he'll have to threaten a double-double again in this game against an incredibly talented frontcourt.
HOW THE KENTUCKY WILDCATS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
For our money, the Wildcats weren't fantastic against Georgia on Saturday. They were behind for a big chunk of the middle of the game, and the only reason they were finally able to get that game behind them is because the Bulldogs ran out of gas after two really grueling games in a row.
However, when Kentucky finally did get going, it was because of its defense. It also helped the J.J. Frazier suffered an ankle injury which he ultimately tried to play through with little success. The Bulldogs went over 10 minutes with just one field goal late in the second half after Frazier got hurt. Threes started to fall, and the crowd really started to get into the game, and UGA had no answers from there.
The bigs weren't fantastic for the Wildcats, but they did just enough to draw in the Georgia defense. Derek Willis and Alex Poythress both got into double-figures in scoring, and that left things open for Jamal Murray and Tyler Ulis to dominate, particularly on the perimeter.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
It's been a nice run for Texas A&M, but when Kentucky is good, it's really, really good. It's time for the Wildcats to really make a statement to the rest of the nation and to the Selection Committee. John Calipari has pushed all the right button down the stretch, and that's going to make this team one of the most dangerous starting next week in the NCAA Tournament.
Throw what will ultimately be a de facto home court advantage to the intensity of the SEC Tournament, and we just don't see the Wildcats folding. There's just going to be too much out of Ulis, Murray and Isaiah Briscoe for the Aggies to keep up offensively, and the UK defense will end up doing the rest.
Kentucky 81, Texas A&M 66
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