The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (1-1) will travel to Reed Arena to challenge the No. 16 Texas A&M Aggies (1-0) in their home opener. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 138 points with Texas A&M set as a 21.5-point favorite. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Friday, November 17, 2017.
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos vs. Texas A&M Aggies Betting Preview
The Gauchos lost to the Pittsburgh Panthers in their last outing, 70-62. Leland King put together a good performance for UC Santa Barbara, leading both teams in scoring with 22 points on 8-for-20 shooting. Pittsburgh did a terrific job of making free throws (21-25; 84.0 percent). UC Santa Barbara, on the other hand, had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (38.8 vs. 17.2).
The last time the Aggies played, they blew out the No. 11 West Virginia Mountaineers, 88-65. Texas A&M rallied around Admon Gilder, who contributed 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Texas A&M played a nearly perfect game. They had a free throw rate of 0.250 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.563. For those same stats, West Virginia was 0.071 and 0.429, respectively.
Half-court execution will be critical when a pair of the nations slowest-paced teams go head-to-head. Texas A&M ranks 301st in possessions per game (66.6) and UC Santa Barbara is 318th (65.7) dating back to the 2016-17 season. Also, the Gauchos rank 342nd in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.188), while the Aggies rank 45th in opponents FTA rate (0.200).
Since last season, the Gauchos are 7-23 straight up (SU) and 10-15-1 against the spread (ATS). UC Santa Barbara games have had a tendency to finish under the projected point total since last season (73.1 percent).
The Aggies have had a solid 17-15 SU record since last season, but are just 11-17 ATS. Vegas has also been extremely accurate when setting the O/U total of Texas A&M games over that same period with an even split between overs and unders.
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at Texas A&M Aggies Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Texas A&M, ATS Winner – Texas A&M, O/U – Under
Betting Notes (2016-Present):
- The Gauchos rank 35th in steals allowed per game (5.1) while the Aggies rank 204th (6.6).
- UC Santa Barbara averages 19.4 three pointers per game, which ranks 228th in the nation. Texas A&M ranks 262nd in three pointers allowed per game (23.4).
- Texas A&M ranks 34th in assists per game (16.0) while UC Santa Barbara ranks 285th in assists allowed per game (15.8).
- The Aggies rank seventh in blocks per game (5.6) while the Gauchos rank 248th (2.3).
- Texas A&M ranks 32nd in rebounds per game (38.9) while UC Santa Barbara ranks 239th in rebounds allowed per game (37.1).
