Texas A&M vs. Washington State prediction, odds, line: 2022 NIT semifinal picks, best bets from proven model
Tue, Mar 29, 2022
NCAAB News (AP)
A spot in the 2022 National Invitation Tournament championship game is on the line Tuesday night when the No. 1-seeded Texas A&M Aggies take on the No. 4-seeded Washington State Cougars in a NIT semifinal showdown. Both teams won three NIT games to reach the semifinals. The Aggies enjoyed home-court advantage because of their top seed and arrived in New York following double-digit victories against Alcorn State, Oregon and Wake Forest. Washington State defeated Santa Clara at home before logging blowout road wins over SMU and BYU.
Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Aggies are 1.5-point favorites and the over-under for total points scored is 133 in the latest Washington State vs. Texas A&M odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Before making any Texas A&M vs. Washington State picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from Spotrac's proven computer model.
The Spotrac Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Texas A&M vs. Washington State and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NIT 2022. You can head to Spotrac to see all of the model's college basketball picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Washington State vs. Texas A&M:
- Washington State vs. Texas A&M point spread: Texas A&M -1.5
- Washington State vs. Texas A&M over-under total: 133 points
- Washington State vs. Texas A&M money line: Texas A&M -125, Washington State +105
- WSU: The Cougars are 11-5 against the spread in their past 16 neutral-site games as an underdog.
- TAMU: The Aggies are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games against opponents with winning records.
Like many NIT contenders before them, the Aggies have used their exclusion from the NCAA Tournament as motivation to prove the decision makers for the 68-team field made a mistake. Even so, Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams has taken this dynamic to perhaps an unseen level.
Williams has repeatedly lambasted the NCAA Tournament selection committee publicly even as the Aggies have moved forward through the NIT. The committee said the Aggies were doomed by an eight-game losing streak in SEC play, a relatively modest slate of quality wins outside of the conference and that they weren't particularly close to making the final cut despite a run to the SEC Tournament title game against Tennessee.
Still, his team has played like one with a firm mission at hand, turning up the intensity with its already aggressive and active defense to squash every opponent's offensive attack. The Aggies have allowed just 58 points per game in their NIT run and are coming off a 67-52 over a capable Wake Forest club. They held the Demon Deacons to 34 percent shooting and forced 21 turnovers while leading wire to wire.
The Cougars are perhaps better equipped to handle Texas A&M's pressure defense than its previous opponents. They are led by experienced guards who saw similar schemes against the upper-tier clubs in the Pac-12 and regularly held their own, finishing 11-9 in conference play for fifth place.
Washington State is a perimeter-oriented club that can bury opponents with a barrage of 3-pointers both in transition and in half-court sets. The Cougars have made 25 3-pointers combined through three NIT contests and hit nine in their 77-58 win over BYU in the quarterfinals.
Senior guard Michael Flowers led the way with 27 points, five assists and three steals. The Cougars' depth could also help their cause as they have nine players who average at least 16 minutes per game.
Spotrac's model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 136 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 70 percent of the time. You can only see the model's pick at Spotrac.
So who wins Texas A&M vs. Washington State? And which side of the spread hits almost 70 percent of the time? Visit Spotrac now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
