The Washington Huskies will take on the Texas A&M Aggies on Tuesday night in the second game of three played within four days for the Huskies as part of this new Vancouver Showcase.
While it’s a difficult schedule for the Huskies, Tuesday should be a rather easy game for Washington as the Aggies have struggled out of the gate this season. Texas A&M comes into this game in the midst of a three-game losing streak, but Washington doesn’t offer a particularly favorable matchup to snap that unpleasant streak.
Will the Huskies be the cure for what ails Texas A&M or are they Aggies’ struggles likely to continue for at least another game? These are two teams seemingly going in opposite directions as Mike Hopkins continues to build the Washington program back up while the Aggies are dealing with a bit of a rebuild this season. You can get involved in this one with all the live betting opportunities available at BookMaker.eu.
NCAA Basketball Betting at Bookmaker.eu
Texas A&M Aggies vs. Washington Huskies
Date and Time: Tuesday, November 19, 2018, 11:30 p.m. ET
Location: Vancouver Convention Center, Vancouver, British Columbia
College Basketball Odds: Check Back Later
Aggies vs. Huskies TV Coverage: ESPN2
Texas A&M has had a rough start to the season, losing their last three games after a rather lackluster win over Savannah Sate to open the year.
The Aggies have had a difficult schedule with No.3 Gonzaga and a solid Minnesota team to follow, but the offense has been seemingly none existent after putting up 98-points against Savannah State. Even UC Irvine held the Aggies to 73 points in a loss.
Texas A&M is being outshot by the opposition and the percentage is particularly bad on the outside where the Aggies have sunk just 22.6-percent of their shot from beyond the arc.
Senior guard Admon Gilder and sophomore guard T.J. Starkes were the biggest names back from last year’s team and with some added talent at guard as well, the backcourt was expected to lead the way, but that hasn’t been the case. The team’s been just as bad—or actually worse—shooting threes as last year.
A four guard rotation outside isn’t doing the trick and Christian Mekowulu and Josh Nebo, the new blood that was supposed to lead the way inside, have both been solid rebounders, but otherwise a bit uninspiring early.
In general, a 1-3 start is hard to ignore. The loss to Gonzaga, of course, is easy to overlook. While the team played Minnesota and UC Irvine tough, they still fell short.
Moving to the other side of the hardwood in this contest, the Huskies have had a different start to the season for sure.
They did lose to Auburn, but much like Texas A&M’s lose to Gonzaga, that was a loss to a top-10 team and certainly easy to understand. Other than that, Washington has handled its business.
In the win over Santa Clara on Sunday night, Washington shot 48-percent from the floor and 40-percent from three-point range. Jaylen Nowell dominated the floor, shooting 11-for-15 and 4-for-6 beyond the arc for 32 points.
Nowell is one of several returning players to an ultimately experienced Washington team ready to make another jump forward this season.
This Washington team showed plenty of growth last year, particularly defensively, and that growth has continued in the early going this year.
Live Betting
Defense is an important part of this game. Washington’s defense two years ago was abysmal, but a style change and focus on a zone helped the Huskies put up much better defensive numbers—at last per Ken Pom rankings—last year. They’ve continued that this season and the defense, save the Auburn game, has certainly looked the part.
Texas A&M were a preseason sleeper team in the SEC and the team still seems to be sleeping, particularly on offense. The Aggies’ lone win came in a game they scored 98, the only time they topped 73 all year. Meanwhile, the lone loss for the Huskies came when they allowed 88 points, the only team they allowed more than 68. Obviously, opponent plays a difference.
The Aggies and Huskies are both legitimate major conference programs. While they’ve had their issues, they represent good litmus tests for each other. Keep an eye on the early results of this game. If it’s a high scoring affair early, it may lean in Texas A&M’s favor, but a defense-first approach gives Washington an edge in your live betting plays at BookMaker.eu.
Key Player
Texas A&M is playing a smaller, four-guard rotation after the mass exodus of talent this offseason. With Gilder, Starkes and a number of solid transfers on the outside, the backcourt is the strength of the Aggies despite questionable shooting numbers early. Meanwhile, for the Huskies, Nowell is the key, particularly on the outside.
Jaylen Nowell was a top recruit last year and turned that into 16 PPG and 32.5 MPG on the court. He showed the ability to shoot, but more than that, he could rebound despite his 6’4” stature and offered solid defense and rebounding, helping the Huskies turn around their fortunes last year. A change in defensive systems is nice, but you need players to execute it.
The Huskies have a size, talent and depth advantage inside. The one area the team could compete is on the perimeter and that’s where Nowell becomes key. If the Aggies cannot stop him, and he can provide enough of a challenge defensively outside, the Aggies have little chance.
Aggies vs. Huskies Live Betting
Washington has a nice improvement last year and seems to be trending in the right direction, again. While the Huskies haven’t been tested heavily yet this season thanks to a rather light early season schedule, they’re seemingly having more success than a young Aggies squad.
Experience gives Washington the edge in this one as the Huskies should be able to come away with the win. While this is a game played on a neutral court, there’s no denying a geographic advantage in play for the Huskies.
Look for the Huskies to come away with a win. They’re the Ken Pom favorites by a margin and have a good defense to hold down Texas A&M and enough offense to give them the victory.
Check out all of the live betting at BookMaker.eu for Tuesday’s college basketball.
NCAA Basketball Score Prediction: Washington 74, Texas A&M 65
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!
