Michigan vs Texas A&M 2018 Sweet 16 March Madness Odds & Pick

Michigan vs Texas A&M 2018 Sweet 16 March Madness Odds & Pick

The 7-seed Aggies from Texas A&M delivered an emphatic rout of defending champion North Carolina on Sunday, rolling to an 86-65 win and establishing themselves as a contender worthy of serious attention in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Third-seeded Michigan, winners of the Big Ten Tournament, needed a long three-pointer at the buzzer from Jordan Poole to escape the University of Houston in the round of 32. These teams now face off in the bright lights of Hollywood for the right to advance to the Elite Eight. Check out our March Madness odds preview for this matchup.

Michigan vs Texas A&M 2018 Sweet 16 March Madness Odds & Pick

When: Saturday, March 17, 2018, 7:37pm ET Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles TV: TBS Radio: None Live Stream: March Madness Live March Madness Odds: Michigan -3.5

Why should you bet on the Wolverines?

It looked like the Wolverines’ stellar run through the last part of the Big Ten schedule, through the conference tournament and into the Big Dance, was about to come to a screeching halt against the Houston Cougars. Then, Jordan Poole took a pass from his left and jacked up a three-ball from way downtown to secure the win. That gave Poole a dozen points for the game, tying him with Moritz Wagner and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman for the team lead. Charles Matthews and Duncan Robinson each had 11 points, giving the team five double-digit scorers. Zavier Simpson led the team with eight boards and also dished out four assists. Wagner has led the team in scoring this season, putting up 14.2 points per game while also  grabbing 7.1 rebounds. The team has scored 73.8 points per game, shooting almost 47 percent form the floor and just over 36 percent from downtown. Michigan’s defense has been particularly impressive, permitting just 63.1 points per game, ranked eighth in the nation. If you like Michigan, you’re putting consistency down the stretch over a series of performances in the tournament that have been out of character — the Aggies took down a Providence team that beat Villanova once and took them to overtime in the Big East Tournament title game after eliminating Xavier in the tournament semifinals, and then beat a North Carolina team that had more than held its own in a tough ACC schedule. Michigan has put together a longer winning streak than the Aggies but may not have the high ceiling that the Aggies have.

Why should you put your money on the Aggies?

Texas A&M showed considerable offensive balance in their upset win over the Tar Heels. T.J. Starks was the top scorer with 21 points and also dealt out five assists. Tyler Davis put up 18 points, nine boards and three big blocks, while D.J. Hogg sank three shots from downtown on the way to 14 points, also pulling down eight boards and dishing out four assists. Admon Gilder also hit double figures with a dozen points. Robert Williams dominated the glass with 13 boards and leads the team with 9.3 rebounds per contest. On the season, the Aggies have put up 75.3 points per game, shooting 46 percent from the floor and making about a third of their three-point shots. The problem for the Aggies is their inconsistency. They picked up a number of exciting wins in SEC play but then underwhelmed in the conference tournament. However, they caught fire in the opening two rounds, taking down Providence and then humiliating North Carolina. If you like Texas A&M, you think they can get lightning in a bottle one more time against a Michigan team that has been red hot down the stretch in conference play, sweeping to their conference tournament title and making it to the Sweet 16 as well.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Inconsistent teams that roll into the Sweet 16 cool down during the week leading into the third and fourth rounds of the tournament, meaning that teams like the Aggies often find that the magic has faded once they hit teams that have put together more consistent runs. I see Michigan holding off the Aggie attack and moving to the Elite Eight with a 77-71 win.