Can Buddy Hield be stopped? That’s the question that the third-seeded Texas A&M Aggies will try to answer when they buckle up for a wild showdown with the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners.
This is the first time ever that the Aggies have earned a trip to the Sweet 16 and they’ll definitely be striving to capitalize on this opportunity. The Sooners, meanwhile, will continue to put their trust on Hield to carry them into the final of the West Regional.
Which team will reign supreme in this one? Let’s now read on below for a better look at this matchup. And if you’re up for some more Sweet 16 action, check out our preview for the Virginia Cavaliers vs. Iowa State Cyclones.
March Madness No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Texas A&M Preview
Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
When: Thursday, March 24, 7:37 PM ET
Line: Oklahoma Sooners (-2.5) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (+2.5); total: 146.0 – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Where: TBS
Betting on the Oklahoma Sooners
Things are bound to go Oklahoma’s way if Hield continues to put on a show, but the Texas A&M Aggies still have other threats to worry about besides him. There’s Isaiah Cousins, Jordan Woodard and Ryan Spangler, who are all contributing double-digits in points this season. The three averaging 36.3 points combined and are also excellent long-range gunners.
Woodard and Cousins, in particular, have done a decent job in lending a helping hand to Hield on offense.
Woodard enters this match having posted 17 points, four boards and four dimes during the hard-fought, second-round victory over VCU. The same could also be said for Cousins, who’s put up a total of 31 points, six assists and four three-pointers in his previous two games.
Spangler, meanwhile, needs to assert himself more. He’s been held to single-digits in the last two games and has only attempted nine shots all in all. Spangler’s really got to be more aggressive especially in this game, as the Aggies’ defense, which currently ranks 28th in the nation, will likely have all or most of its attention on Hield.
Oklahoma is 7-3 SU and 2-8 ATS in its past 10 games overall.
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Betting on the Texas A&M Aggies
On the other side, No. 3 seed Texas A&M heads into this matchup with a lot of confidence and adrenaline. The Aggies booked a ticket into the Sweet 16 round in dramatic fashion by arguably pulling off the greatest comeback in March Madness history.
They found a way to win in double overtime after erasing a 12-point deficit with less than a minute to go in the second half against Northern Iowa.
The Aggies couldn’t have done this without out the solid outputs from Alex Caruso and Danuel House, who combined for 47 points to lead the way for the team. But House, in particular, proved to be the main hero, as he scored all of his points (22) in the final 5:14 of regulation and overtime.
House’s experience and scoring prowess is going to be much-needed once again in order to help the Aggies keep up with the Sooners, who are one of the best offensive teams in the country right now (80.5 PPG).
If things don’t go well on offense though, Texas A&M (65.5 points allowed per contest) can always compensate for this on defense. The Aggies did a good job in limiting Green Bay to 65 points in the first round. But during the second round opposite Northern Iowa, they uncharacteristically allowed 88 points, which ties their season-high.
Texas A&M is 4-6 SU and 6-4 ATS in its last 10 games as the underdog.
Writer’s Prediction
Hield goes off for 25-plus points to lead Oklahoma (-2.5) past the Aggies. The Sooners fail to cover the spread, however.
