Texas A&M took one step closer to the SEC crown after an 84-69 demolition of Missouri on Saturday. They are tied for first place with No. 22 Kentucky. The Aggies could solidify their chances of their first regular season conference title in 30 years when they take on one of the SEC’s bottom feeders Tuesday night.
Auburn sits 13th in the 14-team SEC with a 5-11 conference record. They’ve been horrible recently, going on a 2-9 stretch. While they certainly won’t have anything to play for this late into the season, the Tigers could still act as spoilers against one of the league’s best teams.
Will Texas A&M take one more step toward the crown? Or will Auburn burst the Aggies’ bubble? Read on as we take a look at this SEC showdown. Feed your college basketball frenzy with our complete previews for Virginia vs. Clemson and DePaul vs. Villanova.
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Texas A&M Aggies vs. Auburn Tigers Preview
Where: Auburn Arena, Auburn
When: Tuesday, March 1, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Texas A&M Aggies (-11) at Auburn Tigers (+11) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the Texas A&M Aggies
There’s no room for error if Texas A&M wants to win their first regular season conference title since 1986. They need to win over Auburn coupled with a Kentucky loss Tuesday for a share of the title. But if the Aggies really want it all, then they’ll need to win at Auburn Tuesday and at home against Vanderbilt for the regular season finale Saturday.
It won’t fall on House, though. Leading scorer Jalen Jones has been great with a 20-point outing against Missouri. He also scored 24 in a 79-77 overtime win against Kentucky on February 20. However, sandwiching those big performances is a six-point outing, in which Jones hit 2 of 8 shots against Mississippi State. He averaged 12.3 points in three games against Auburn last year.
The Aggies are 1-4 SU/ATS in their last five on the road.
Betting on the Auburn Tigers
The Auburn Tigers have enjoyed a little bit of success recently, splitting their last four games. They did so after losing seven straight. An 84-81 home win over Georgia snapped a four-game home slide, but the Tigers got back to their losing ways Saturday on the road against Alabama.
Sophomore guard T.J. Lang scored just two points against Alabama after dropping a career-high 21 against Georgia the game before. Auburn will be hoping that a return home could help Lang find his shot with leading scorer Kareem Canty now gone from the team.
Tyler Harris could give the Tigers a fighting chance if he can rediscover his shot. He’s averaging 13.7 points per game this season, but had just seven in his return from a one-game absence due to a concussion.
If Harris continues to struggle, then look for Cinmeon Bowers and Bryce Brown to come to Auburn’s aid. Bowers is averaging 11.4 points per game, while Brown is dropping 15.2 per game in the past five contests.
The Tigers are 3-1 ATS in their last four games.
Writer’s Prediction
Auburn (+11) makes it a dog fight. But Texas A&M has more pieces to eke out the close win.
Create a betting account now and gear up for a crazy wild month of March.
