The Yale Bulldogs take on the Texas A&M Aggies in the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is set for 7:25 p.m. ET on TBS.
Texas A&M is favored by 7.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -340. The total is set at 138.5 points.
Here are my Yale vs. Texas A&M predictions and college basketball picks for March 20, 2025.
Yale vs Texas A&M Odds
| Yale Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -115 | 140 -110o / -110u | +270 |
| Texas A&M Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -105 | 140 -110o / -110u | -340 |
- Yale vs Texas A&M spread: Texas A&M -7.5
- Yale vs Texas A&M over/under: 140 points
- Yale vs Texas A&M moneyline: Texas A&M -340, Yale +270
- Yale vs Texas A&M best bet: Yale ML +260
My Yale vs Texas A&M best bet is on the Bulldogs to win the game outright, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Yale Bulldogs vs. Texas A&M Aggies NCAAB Preview
It's incredibly easy to get out over your skis and talk yourself into every possible Cinderella story. If you squint, you can talk yourself into almost any of the 11-14 seeds to grab a win.
Sometimes you need to take a deep breath, step back and really evaluate the teams in the field. And other times you need to dive right in and run with it. This is one of those times.
Texas A&M is a strong team that played well in the SEC, one of the toughest college basketball conferences ever assembled.
However, the Aggies are incredibly flawed.
They have a top-10 defense in college basketball but a remarkably one-dimensional offense. Texas A&M ranks outside the top 240 teams in Division I in turnover rate (240th), 2-point percentage (293rd) and free-throw percentage (274th).
The Aggies get their shots blocked at the single highest rate in the sport.
How is this offense ranked 44th in the country and able to spark A&M to 22 wins and a 4-seed? A tenacious, relentless attack on the offensive glass.
The Aggies are the nation's best offensive-rebounding team, nabbing 42% of their own misses. Everything A&M does offensively is created by its two senior guards but augmented by its assault on the glass.
Yale is prepared to handle that challenge.
The Bulldogs ranked 22nd in the country in defensive rebounding rate — but that's not just a product of playing lesser opponents. Against Purdue, Yale allowed just five offensive rebounds (20% offensive rebound rate). Against Akron, a top-100 team and NCAA Tournament participant, Yale gave up seven offensive rebounds (16%).
Yale did allow its other power conference opponent, Minnesota, to grab 17 offensive rebounds (39%), a bad sign. Yet, that came on a day when the Gophers shot just 3-of-17 from long range and won the game by just three points.
Knowing the A&M game plan, Yale will be prepared. The Elis matched Auburn's offensive rebounds in last year's NCAA Tournament. In 2016, Yale and head coach James Jones beat Baylor, a top-five offensive rebounding team that season.
If Yale can at least slow down the Aggies on the glass, the impetus falls on A&M shot-maker Wade Taylor IV, a senior with 2,000-plus career points, to make something happen. Yale counters with three-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Bez Mbeng, one of the best perimeter stoppers in college basketball.
Elsewhere at Action Network, Stuckey gave his case for Yale to pull off the upset, and I'm in full agreement. The Ivy League has been a force in recent years, winning half of its 12 most recent opening-round games and making two trips to the Sweet 16.
It's early to consider whether or not the Bulldogs have a multi-round run in them, but for now, I'm confident in their chances of surviving the first round.
Pick: Yale ML +260
