-Bet.jpg)
No. 15 Texas AM is the highest ranked SEC team and the Aggies aren’t even in first place in their conference. Four consecutive league losses dropped the Aggies a game behind three teams, including LSU for the top spot. The Tigers look to keep pace while avenging a 14-point loss last month.
You can bet on college basketball odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
HOW THE TEXAS AM AGGIES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
It’s not a coincidence that the 15th-ranked Aggies’ swoon has taken place around Jalen Jones’ shooting woes. The Aggies have lost four straight after Wednesday’s 63-62 loss to Alabama, despite 21 points from Jones, a semi-breakthrough after he netted just 41 in the previous four games.
Getting Jones back on track is a key. And the Aggies will lean on their veterans to get over the hump. With four senior starters, that shouldn’t be as difficult as it might seem. Remember, this team was 7-0 in the SEC and ranked as high as fifth in the country.
The field goal accuracy needs to improve as does the rebounding. The Aggies were outrebounded by the Crimson Tide and gave up 13 on the offensive glass, which led to several second chance opportunities. That ended up being the difference in a one-point defeat.
The Aggies smoked LSU 71-57 on Jan. 19, led by a defensive effort that forced 19 turnovers and limited the Tigers to 37.3 percent shooting. Texas AM was at the top of its game, assisting on 21 of 28 field goals and grabbing seven more rebounds. The Aggies also held Ben Simmons to 10 points. That style of play is how they got to 17-2 and ranked No. 5 in the country and they have the talent to get back to it.
HOW THE LSU TIGERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
If the Tigers want to do anything this season, like win the SEC crown or make the NCAA tournament, they’ll have to ride the play of Simmons. To do that, coach Johnny Jones needs to have his team feed Simmons the ball. There were some inexplicable absences in games, most notably the loss to Oklahoma when Simmons rarely touched the ball down the stretch. The Tigers lost by two points.
LSU ran into a hot South Carolina team on Wednesday, having its four-game winning streak busted and falling into a first-place tie with the Gamecocks and Kentucky. In a balanced league where every team has at least three losses, those games will happen, particularly between the upper crust.
While Simmons is the biggest threat to carry the team – he is likely the first pick in this year’s NBA draft, after all – he doesn’t have to do it alone. And that’s what makes the Tigers dangerous. Craig Victor and Keith Hornsby missed games early in the year as LSU sputtered out of the gate.
But those guys are back, and freshman Antonio Blakeney has emerged. Blakeney scored 53 points in the last two games, just two fewer than he managed in his previous six games combined. He’s given opposing defenses something else to think about, and that allows Simmons to roam free.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Texas AM is struggling and hasn’t come close to resembling the squad that received a No. 5 ranking just a few weeks ago. The rough patch started with a road loss to Arkansas, a team the Aggies handled by 23 points in the conference opener. Now, AM faces a similar situation with LSU. The Aggies drubbed the Tigers 71-57 back on Jan. 19, and it’s time for LSU to get some payback. In that first game, the Aggies held Simmons, Hornsby and Blakeney to a combined 25 points and forced 19 turnovers. It’s hard to imagine those three again being silenced, especially at home. The ability of Blakeney to connect from distance has opened up space for Simmons, who has started to be more assertive in the paint. With Hornsby, Victor and Tim Quarterman all able to score the basketball, defenses can’t clamp down on Simmons, and that makes the Tigers’ offense dangerous. Now, if they can play a little defense.
LSU 87, Texas AM 83
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Texas AM Aggies and LSU Tigers will go down Saturday, February 13, 2016 at 1 p.m. ET at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
