Two SEC rivals go mano-a-mano at the Memorial Gymnasium this Thursday night, as the eighth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies take on the Vanderbilt Commodores for the first time this season. The Aggies enter this matchup as winners of 11 of their last 12 games while the Commodores will be looking to get back on track. Which club will come away with the win in this one?
Read on below for a comprehensive breakdown of this battle. And while you’re at it check out our preview of the UCLA Bruins vs. USC Trojans.
[sc:MarchMadness ]Texas A&M Aggies vs. Vanderbilt Commodores Preview
Where: Memorial Gymnasium (Vandy), Nashville, Tennessee
When: Thursday, February 4, 2016, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Texas A&M Aggies (+1) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (-1)– view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN2
Betting on the Texas A&M Aggies (18-3, 7-1 SEC)
[sc:NCAAB240banner ] The Texas A&M Aggies seem to really play well versus ranked opponents as they once again took care of business when the then-No. 14 Iowa State Cyclones paid them a visit on Saturday, 72-62. Starring in that Big 12-SEC clash was none other than Danuel House, who finished with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting and also delivered this ferocious dunk that brought the house down.
With the win, the eighth-ranked Aggies have improved to 18-3 overall along with a conference-best 7-1 record. Up next for them is an intriguing encounter with the Vanderbilt Commodores, who currently hold the seventh spot in the SEC. Texas A&M is 6-4 SU and 6-3-1 ATS in its last 10 road games.
As always, look to the pair of House and Jalen Jones to lead the Aggies’ charge on offense. The two are presently the team’s top point-getters this season with 16.8 PPG and 16.0 PPG respectively. House, in particular, walks into this matchup fresh off back-to-back 20-point outputs against Iowa State and Arkansas.
Meanwhile, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on the Aggies’ first-year center Tyler Davis. Davis, who is averaging 11.5 PPG and 5.9 RPG, has been imposing his will lately, putting up a total of 47 points and 19 rebounds in his past three outings. But he might be forced to primarily focus on defense later as he’ll be matching up against Vanderbilt’s own low-post threat in Damian Jones.
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Betting on the Vanderbilt Commodores (12-9, 4-4 SEC)
Speaking of Damian Jones, he’s been a handful for opposing teams as of late. The 7-foot, 245-pound center is posting 19.7 points and 10.0 rebounds in his previous three contests. That stretch includes their game versus Texas on Saturday, wherein Jones finished with a season-high 26 points along with nine boards under his name.
The Vanderbilt Commodores’ next assignment won’t be an easy the one, though. They’ll be playing host to the No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies, who are one of the best defensive teams in the country today. The Aggies are allowing just an average of 64.1 points to opponents this season.
That said, the Commodores, who are 8-2 SU and 5-4 ATS in their previous 10 home games, will need somebody else besides Jones to help rack up the points. Expect the duo of Wade Baldwin IV and Matthew Fisher-Davis to be the ones to do so later.
Baldwin IV currently leads Vanderbilt in scoring with 14.3 points per contest, but he might not be at full strength after suffering an injury during the first half against the Longhorns. Fisher-Davis, meanwhile, might really have to step it up again if Baldwin IV struggles. The second-year guard contributed 19 points along and nailed five three-pointers vs. Texas.
Writer’s Prediction
The Aggies (+1) win, 83-79.
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