_preview.jpeg "Texas-A&M-vs.-Arizona-(ESPN2)")
We will have our first Valley of the Sun Shootout this week when the Arizona Wildcats host the Texas A&M Aggies. While this is officially a neutral site game, you can be sure that almost all the fans in attendance will be rooting on the Wildcats. Arizona will be looking to turn around its season with a win over a ranked opponent, while Texas A&M will try to keep its undefeated season going.
This war on the floor will go down Tuesday, December 5, 2017, at 9 p.m. ET at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. The game will be televised live on ESPN2. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Tuesday schedule.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
The Aggies surprised a lot of people by crushing West Virginia in their season opener despite having suspended a few of their starters. Texas A&M has looked very good this season and is currently 7-0 and 4-2 ATS. The Aggies have some quality wins too. They have knocked off USC, West Virginia, and Oklahoma State, all by double digits.
Sean Miller is telling his athletic director that he doesn’t want to leave the US again. Arizona was expected to dominate at the Battle 4 Atlantis, but completely laid an egg instead. The Wildcats were one of the top three teams in the country heading into the tournament, but losses to North Carolina State, SMU, and Purdue knocked them all the way out of the Top 25. They just barely beat UNLV in overtime on Saturday and are now 5-3 SU and 2-5-1 ATS on the year.
Key Stats
Defense has been the hallmark for the Aggies this season and the reason they have been so impressive. Penn State of all teams was the only school to have real success against Texas A&M on the offensive end of the court. Other than that, the Aggies have not allowed anyone to score more than 65 points against them all season long.
Rebounding has played a large part in that. The Aggies are tall and strong and are pulling down 44 rebounds a night, putting them in the top ten in the country. They have a +12 rebounding advantage per game and that helps as well, denying opponents the chance to get extra possessions against them.
Where this team really shines is in its perimeter defense. Despite playing some very good teams with solid guard play, the Aggies are second-best in the country in shutting down the three. Opponents are hitting just 22.5 percent of their three-point attempts against Texas A&M on the year.
Player to Watch
Last year, we waited for a long time in order to see Allonzo Trier on the court. A possible failed PED test kept him sidelined until mid-January last season, but he was fantastic once he was able to play. There was a lot of buzz surrounding him at the start of this season, yet while he has played well, his team has not.
Trier is putting up some solid numbers. He is knocking down over 57 percent of his field goals and is leading the team in scoring. However, he has taken to doing things on his own way too much this season. Trier is finishing each game with a Ben Gordon like stat line, and doesn’t seem too keen to do anything other than fire away. That’s something the Aggies will focus on.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
I like Texas A&M a lot in this one. The Aggies have been able to shut down opposing guards for most of the season and will do the same to Trier. He tries to do too much, too often and that will lead to a lot of mistakes. Texas A&M might be an underdog in this one, so take that and run with it.
College Basketball Odds: Texas A&M 83, Arizona 77
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