The Texas A&M Aggies take on the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, KY. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Kentucky is favored by 6 points on the spread with a moneyline of -270. The total is set at 159.5 points.
Here are my Texas A&M vs. Kentucky predictions and college basketball picks for January 14, 2025.
Texas A&M vs Kentucky Odds
| Texas A&M Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6 -110 | 159.5 -110 / -110 | +220 |
| Kentucky Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6 -110 | 159.5 -110 / -110 | -270 |
- Texas A&M vs Kentucky spread: Kentucky -6
- Texas A&M vs Kentucky over/under: 159.5 points
- Texas A&M vs Kentucky moneyline: Kentucky -270, Texas A&M +220
- Texas A&M vs Kentucky best bet: Kentucky -5.5 (Play to -8)
My Texas A&M vs Kentucky best bet is on the Wildcats 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.
Texas A&M vs Kentucky College Basketball Betting Preview
I've been a huge fan of this Aggies team all year, and backing them has proven profitable (10-5-1 ATS). But they'll be without Wade Taylor IV, who's missed the last two games with a knee injury.
Immense pressure now sits on Zhuric Phelps, the Aggies' lone ball-handler/scorer.
Phelps put together a masterful performance in the Aggies' 18-point second-half comeback against Oklahoma, but he came back down to earth against Alabama, going 9-of-29 from the field.
Buzz Williams' squad will need to dominate and score off the offensive glass. The Aggies have a deep rotation of bigs, which contributes to their 44% offensive rebounding rate — the best mark in America.
Pharrel Payne is coming off a monster game versus the Crimson Tide, scoring 23 points with six offensive boards. Payne is the most productive big on the A&M roster, but Andersson Garcia, Henry Coleman III and Solomon Washington each play huge roles.
Defensively, Texas A&M will look to show full-court pressure. It hangs its hat on defense, ranking No. 13 in defensive efficiency with a 21% turnover rate.
This spot is a very tricky one for the Aggies. Heading into the tough Rupp Arena without your best player isn't ideal, especially since Kentucky split a pair of road games last week, losing to Georgia and rebounding with an upset win over Mississippi State.
Kentucky is well-built to combat the Aggies' intense defensive pressure; the Wildcats have a ton of ball-handling options and turn the ball over just 13.2% of the time.
Mark Pope is one of the best offensive coaches in the country, as evidenced by the Wildcats' No. 2-ranked offense, per KenPom. Their offense excels by scoring efficiently inside and out, shooting 57% on 2s and 36% from downtown.
It's not like facing a great defense like Texas A&M will scare Kentucky, as it scored 105 points versus a similarly-ranked Florida defense.
The offensive-friendly environment in Lexington has led to breakout seasons for a pair of veterans. Lamont Butler might be the Wildcats' best player, while Otega Oweh leads them in scoring with 15 points per game. The two combine for about 28 points a night and might have a third member joining the hot scoring.
That player is Jaxson Robinson, who many thought would be the Wildcats' best offensive player. Robinson was a monster at BYU and struggled in the first few months of this season. Perhaps his 28-point outing versus Mississippi State will be the perfect way to end the struggles.
My main concern about Kentucky is interior defense. While Amari Williams is a solid rim protector, Kentucky's defense is fairly mediocre, particularly at the rim.
It has the 83rd-best defense in the country, per KenPom, and the main issue stems from defending inside the arc. Opponents convert at a 51% clip against this Kentucky interior.
The good thing is Kentucky ranks 63rd nationally in defensive rebounding rate, so the Aggies will have to work for the offensive rebounds.
Texas A&M vs. Kentucky Betting Analysis
I can't see the Aggies being super competitive here.
If Kentucky bursts out to a big lead, it won't just give the ball away like Oklahoma did — since it's a much better rebounding team.
The line sits at Kentucky -6.5, which is a lot bigger than KenPom's projected -3 line.
But missing Taylor is the reason for the jump to -6.5, and I won't be surprised if the line jumps even more.
Pick: Kentucky -5.5 (Play to -8)
