The Texas A&M Aggies take on the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, OK. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Oklahoma is favored by 3 points on the spread with a moneyline of -165. The total is set at 146 points.
Here are my Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma predictions and college basketball picks for January 8, 2025.
Texas A&M vs Oklahoma Prediction
My Pick: Texas A&M +2.5
My Texas A&M vs Oklahoma best bet is on the Aggies spread, with the best odds currently available at BetMGM. 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 Oklahoma Odds, Lines
| Texas A&M Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -110 | 146 -110 / -110 | +140 |
| Oklahoma Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -110 | 146 -110 / -110 | -165 |
- Texas A&M vs Oklahoma spread: Oklahoma -3
- Texas A&M vs Oklahoma over/under: 146 points
- Texas A&M vs Oklahoma moneyline: Oklahoma -165, Texas A&M +140
- Texas A&M vs Oklahoma best bet: Texas A&M +2.5
My Texas A&M vs Oklahoma NCAAB Betting Preview
Texas A&M Basketball
Buzz Williams finally has a team with a chance to contend for an SEC title. While it might be the worst year to have an awesome team in SEC — with squads like Florida, Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee sitting atop — the Aggies belong in the same discussion.
They enter this contest as winners of eight consecutive games, with their last loss coming over a month ago to Oregon. Meanwhile, they've secured victories over Purdue, Texas Tech, Texas and Creighton in the process.
Sometimes, the best shot for Texas A&M isn’t the first shot — it’s whatever comes from the second. The Aggies are the best in the country at crashing the offensive glass, collecting misses on 44% of their possessions.
They have myriad options to slide in without a drop off on the interior, including Pharrel Payne, Andersson Garcia, Henry Coleman III and Solomon Washington. All four are great offensive rebounders and help Texas A&M’s defense, which ranks sixth in efficiency.
The Aggies love flashing pressure, leading to a 21% turnover rate. But unlike some teams that force turnovers, the Aggies' size and athleticism allows them to recover and get back defensively.
Teams tend to fall in love with the 3-point shot against them, with their stout interior defense staring down on them. Opponents attempt 3s on 45% of possessions and convert just 28% of the time.
The Aggies have some strong guard play with veterans Wade Taylor IV and Zhuric Phelps. Taylor has become a staple in College Station, but Phelps' driving ability and strength is the perfect complement to the smaller, shot-creating dynamo in Taylor.
However, Taylor won't play in this game due to an undisclosed reason.
Oklahoma Basketball
The unbeaten Sooners are now the one-loss Oklahoma Sooners after Alabama handed them a 28-point beating in Tuscaloosa.
I sort of liken Oklahoma to last year's South Carolina squad, which ranked highly in the AP Poll, but the analytics didn’t love it. The Sooners currently rank just 46th in KenPom, while sitting 17th in the most recent AP Poll.
This team is the antithesis of most Porter Moser-coached squads. The reason Oklahoma is ranked is because of offense rather than defense, where Moser made his name known. The Sooners boasts the No. 27-most efficient offense in America (Per KenPom), led by sensational freshman guard Jeremiah Fears.
The 18-year-old was a shining star from the second he stepped on campus, averaging 17.7 points and 4.4 assists per game.
His turnovers are concerning, though. It's not uncommon for a young guard to have turnover problems, but he gives the ball away over 3.6 times per game. Texas A&M will be licking its chops to swipe the ball from the youthful guard.
Oklahoma will need Fears and fellow star forward Jalon Moore to thrive against a tough defense. The athletic Moore will have to find a way to score against arguably the toughest interior in America. It won’t be easy, but Moore threatens defenses with size, shooting and athleticism.
The problem for Oklahoma is its defense. We just saw Alabama make the Sooners' defense look like a low-major team, scoring 1.39 PPP. While Texas A&M’s offense is nothing like Alabama’s, the defensive concerns are nothing new for the Sooners.
Entering Wednesday, the Sooners rank No. 86 in KenPom’s defensive efficiency, and teams dominate them on the interior, shooting 54% on 2s.
Just look at the starting “center” options for Oklahoma — Sam Godwin, who can rebound but doesn’t do much else, Mohamed Wague, who teams draw fouls on with ease, and Luke Northweather, who can’t defend opposing SEC bigs.
It’s just a mixture of bad defensive bigs, and that’s not ideal for Oklahoma’s future outlook.
Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma Betting Analysis
This could mark Oklahoma's freefall. Rarely can teams prove the computer numbers wrong, and Oklahoma is no exception.
Plus, this matchup is a total nightmare for the Sooners, as all the things it struggles with, Texas A&M is able to exploit.
I'll take the surging Aggies in Norman, even without Taylor.
