A pair of ranked teams look to advance to the championship game of the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational when the 12th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies battle the 19th-ranked Florida Atlantic Owls in a semifinal on Friday. The Aggies (5-0), who finished second in the SEC at 15-3 and 25-10 overall a year ago, are coming off an 89-77 win over Penn State on Thursday. The Owls (3-1), who placed first in Conference USA at 18-2 and were 35-4 overall in 2022-23, defeated Butler 91-86 on Thursday. FAU will be competing in the American Athletic Conference this season.
Tipoff from State Farm Field House in Orlando, Fla., is set for 11 a.m. ET. This will be the first-ever meeting between the schools. The Aggies are 3-point favorites in the latest Texas A&M vs. FAU odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 144.5. Before making any FAU vs. Texas A&M picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 3 of the 2023-24 season on an 88-57 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. Anyone who followed it saw huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on FAU vs. Texas A&M and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Texas A&M vs. FAU:
- Texas A&M vs. FAU spread: Texas A&M -3
- Texas A&M vs. FAU over/under: 144.5 points
- Texas A&M vs. FAU money line: Texas A&M -164, Florida Atlantic +138
- TAM: The Aggies are 4-5 on neutral courts since the start of last season
- FAU: The Owls have won 8 of 9 on neutral courts since the start of 2022-2023
- Texas A&M vs. FAU picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Texas A&M can cover
Three players are scoring in double figures for the Aggies, led by junior guard Wade Taylor IV. Taylor had his best game of the season on Thursday, scoring 23 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out three assists in the win over Penn State. He scored 21 points in a 73-66 win at Ohio State on Nov. 10. For the season, he has five starts and is averaging 18.2 points, 4.4 assists, 2.8 steals and 3.6 rebounds in 29.6 minutes of action.
Also off to an outstanding start to the season is senior guard Tyrece Radford. He has scored in double figures in four of five games and has reached 20 or more points in two games this season. For the year, he is averaging 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 30.8 minutes of action. Radford started every game for Texas A&M over the past two seasons, including 40 in 2021-22 and 35 last season. See which team to pick here.
Why FAU can cover
The Owls entered the tournament with four players averaging double-figure scoring, led by junior center Vladislav Goldin. He registered his second double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday's win over Butler. He also had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 75-62 win over Loyola Chicago on Nov. 8. In four starts, he is averaging 16 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.5 steals in 23.5 minutes.
Junior guard Johnell Davis nearly registered a double-double on Thursday, scoring 15 points, while grabbing nine rebounds and adding two steals. He has one double-double on the year, scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a 61-52 loss to Bryant on Saturday. In 27.5 minutes per game, he is averaging 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 assists. He is in his fourth season at Florida Atlantic, where he has played in 98 games, including 23 starts, and is averaging 8.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists. See which team to pick here.
How to make FAU vs. Texas A&M picks
SportsLine's model has simulated Texas A&M vs. FAU 10,000 times is leaning Over on the total. The model also says one side of the spread hits in more than 80% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins FAU vs. Texas A&M, and which side of the spread hits in more than 80% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is up over $1,700 since last season, and find out.
