The Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station, TX. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
The Aggies are 6.5-point favorites on the spread with a moneyline of -270. The total is also set at 146 points.
Here’s my Ohio State vs. Texas A&M predictions and college basketball picks for November 15, 2024.
Ohio State vs Texas A&M Prediction
My Pick: Texas A&M -5.5
My Ohio State vs Texas A&M best bet is on the Aggies spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Ohio State vs Texas A&M Odds, Lines
| Ohio State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 147.5 -110 / -110 | +220 |
| Texas A&M Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 147.5 -110 / -110 | -270 |
- Ohio State vs Texas A&M spread: Texas A&M -5.5
- Ohio State vs Texas A&M over/under: 147.5 points
- Ohio State vs Texas A&M moneyline: Texas A&M -250, Ohio State +205
- Ohio State vs Texas A&M best bet: Texas A&M -5.5
Ohio State vs Texas A&M College Basketball Betting Preview
Ohio State Basketball
Ohio State began its season with an impressive win over Texas on opening night. It took a herculean 14-of-28 shooting performance from 3 to finally put the Longhorns to rest. Then, the Buckeyes had a business-like 39-point win over Youngstown State.
Of course, that's not sustainable, but the 20-point performance from Bruce Thornton is sustainable. Thornton looks incredible in his junior year, averaging 16-5-4 on 75% shooting and 66% from 3.
He's the heartbeat for the Buckeyes, but Meechie Johnson Jr. is aiming to find his footing. Johnson led South Carolina to the NCAA Tournament last year, but he's playing second fiddle to Thornton in Columbus.
He needs to find a way to impact the game as a secondary scorer next to Thornton. After averaging 1.6 turnovers per game last year, Johnson has turned the ball over eight times in two games. Sloppy play is uncharacteristic for Johnson, and he's pressing right now.
It won't get easier against the Aggies' suffocating defense, either.
One possible concern is Ohio State's rebounding. The Buckeyes' starting bigs — Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart — are prone to foul trouble, and the Aggies will attempt to attack them all game.
If Bradshaw and Stewart have foul issues, the best plan for Ohio State is to play smaller with Devin Royal and Evan Mahaffey at the four and five, respectively. The issue is both are 6-foot-6, which is not ideal in this matchup.
The Buckeyes have been incredibly hot from downtown, shooting 48% from 3 in two games. The emergence of freshman John Mobley Jr — who stepped in to hit NBA 3s from day one — is a major factor. His presence opens up the driving lanes for Thornton and Johnson.
They key, as always, is Thornton, though, and how he'll defend the Aggies' star guard.
Texas A&M Basketball
While Ohio State triumphantly opened the season, Texas A&M returned to College Station with a gutting road defeat versus UCF. After leading by five with six minutes left, Texas A&M's offense disappeared in crunch time.
Of importance, the Aggies played without starting guard Zhuric Phelps, who has since returned and scored 17 and 18 points in two games. He's a great compliment to star guard Wade Taylor IV; Taylor is always looking to shoot and Phelps wants to score inside the arc.
Taylor is the Caleb Love of the SEC. He will take some eyebrow-raising shots, but when they go down, good luck beating his team. In the loss to UCF, Taylor went 4-for-11 from 3.
The good thing is the Aggies have plenty of big guys who clean up the leftovers from his missed shots.
One of the biggest advantages for Buzz Williams' squad is that frontcourt. While Ohio State's Bradshaw and Stewart can ill-afford fouls, the Aggies can be a bit riskier since they have four starting-caliber bigs.
Each of the four bigs — Andersson Garcia, Henry Coleman III, Pharrel Payne and Solomon Washington — started at various points in their careers.
Texas A&M had the best offensive rebounding rate in the country last year and is 10th this year. Defending the second shot is as important as defending the first shot when facing these pesky Aggies.
It was impossible to decipher if the Aggies were good or not last year due to their awful 3-point shooting. The addition of veteran sniper CJ Wilcher gives Williams a player with shooting gravity next to Taylor. That means defenses have to somewhat respect the shooting.
Since Phelps and the bigs aren't shooters, it's important for Wilcher and Hayden Hefner to hit jumpers and open up the floor.
Ohio State vs Texas A&M Betting Analysis
Between the home court advantage in College Station and the massive interior advantage, I like the Aggies.
I rate these teams pretty evenly, so the few minor advantages in favor of the Aggies are enough for me to comfortably back them.
