Week 13 brings us a quiet big game where the Texas A&M Aggies (8-2, 5-1 SEC) will travel down to Jordan-Hare Stadium in Alabama to face off against the Auburn Tigers (4-6, 1-5). Weird things happen in Jordan-Hare, so don't be shocked if there are any surprises.
Texas A&M has won 3 of their last 5 matchups against Auburn and is coming off a home win in this series a year ago. Can the Aggies keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive, or will crazy things happen at Jordan-Hare again?
Texas A&M is only a -2.5 point favorite on the road with an over/under of 46.5 points.
Let's take a look at this game as I make my Texas A&M vs. Auburn predictions and college football picks for Saturday, Nov. 23.
Texas A&M vs Auburn Prediction
- Texas A&M vs. Auburn Pick: Auburn ML +115
My Auburn vs. Texas A&M best bet is on the Tigers to win outright, with the best line currently available at bet365, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Texas A&M vs Auburn Odds
| Texas A&M Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -110 | 46.5 -110 / -110 | -135 |
| Auburn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -110 | 46.5 -110 / -110 | +115 |
- Texas A&M vs Auburn Spread: Texas A&M -2.5 (-110) · Auburn +2.5 (-110)
- Texas A&M vs Auburn Over/Under: 46.5
- Texas A&M vs Auburn Moneyline: Texas A&M -135 · Auburn +115
Texas A&M vs Auburn Preview
Texas A&M Aggies Betting Preview: Can't Look Ahead
Head coach Mike Elko slipped a bit earlier this week in an interview about focusing on Texas this week but quickly corrected himself to focusing on Auburn.
It's no secret that the Texas game looms large next week, but it won't carry nearly the same weight if Elko doesn't get his team ready to beat an Auburn team that has continued to shoot itself in the foot.
There are no easy wins in the SEC, and he will need to communicate that message to his team.
Expect Marcel Reed to get the nod at quarterback again this week, He has seemingly been the best option for an offense that averages 31.6 points per game.
Reed gives this offense another ground threat to rush, which is important for a team committed to running the football. The Aggies run the ball on 63% of plays and rank 39th nationally in Rushing Success Rate.
However, problems arise when they play opponents that can stop the run because their quarterback room has had issues this season. They rank 51st in Pass Success Rate and 88th in Pass Explosiveness.
This has not been the typical A&M defense we're used to seeing. The Aggies allow 19.4 points per game, but they have struggled a bit at times this season.
They have been solid against the run, ranking 17th in Rush Success Rate allowed, but that number falls to 39th when it comes to Pass Success Rate allowed.
The weakest spot for this defense has been its inability to limit big plays, ranking 111th in Explosiveness allowed. This could be an even bigger problem if the defense is looking ahead.
Auburn Tigers Betting Preview: Key Advantages
Hugh Freeze’s return to the SEC has not been as glamorous as he had hoped, and he's beginning to fight for his job after another disappointing season in Auburn.
He found success at Ole Miss years ago, but his team has really struggled to get out of its own way this season. That starts with coaching. Winning this game and spoiling Texas A&M’s CFP hopes would be a great reset for his team going into next season.
The Tigers offense has been surprisingly good given how bad their record is.
They average 28.8 points per game with the seventh-best unit in terms of Rush Success Rate, headlined by star running back Jarquez Hunter, who's now over 1,000 rushing yards this season on fairly limited usage for his standards.
Quarterback Payton Thorne has led this passing attack to a mark of 63rd in Pass Success Rate and fifth in Pass Explosiveness.
If he and this Auburn offense can stop losing games with critical turnover mistakes, they should find ways put up points and score on the Aggies.
Defensively, this Auburn team matches up quite well with the Aggies offense.
The Tigers are allowing 18.7 points per game and do so with an emphasis on stopping the run. The Tigers rank eighth nationally in Rush Success Rate allowed and 40th in Rush Explosiveness allowed.
The key to beating this Auburn defense has been airing it out against a team that ranks 54th in Pass Success Rate allowed and 84th in Pass Explosiveness allowed.
Auburn has been pretty good in the red zone as well, ranking 26th in Points per Opportunity allowed. Auburn should be able to hold its own defensively against A&M and thrive if the Aggies come in unprepared.
Texas A&M vs Auburn Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Texas A&M and Auburn match up statistically:
Texas A&M Offense vs. Auburn Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 39 | 8 | |
| Line Yards | 29 | 4 | |
| Pass Success | 51 | 54 |  |
| Havoc | 9 | 87 | |
| Finishing Drives | 53 | 18 | |
| Quality Drives | 53 | 19 | |
Auburn Offense vs. Texas A&M Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 7 | 17 | |
| Line Yards | 17 | 6 | |
| Pass Success | 63 | 39 | |
| Havoc | 88 | 5 | |
| Finishing Drives | 104 | 17 | |
| Quality Drives | 48 | 46 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 103 | 71 |
| PFF Coverage | 80 | 62 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 10 | 84 |
| Middle 8 | 44 | 20 |
| Seconds per Play | 28.4 (102) | 26.4 (46) |
| Rush Rate | 63% (19) | 54% (76) |
Texas A&M vs Auburn Pick & Prediction
The Tigers are due to get right in one of these games again, and there's no better spot than catching A&M in Jordan-Hare looking ahead to their matchup with Texas.
This Auburn team is significantly better than its record shows, and I think it can lean on Hunter to pick up a win at home this week. I'll bet Auburn on the moneyline as the Tigers break A&M’s playoff hopes.
Pick: Auburn ML +115
Texas A&M vs Auburn Start Time, TV Channel, Location, How to Watch
| Location: | Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL |
| Date: | Saturday, Nov. 23 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN |
Texas A&M heads to Jordan-Hare Stadium to take on Auburn on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Texas A&M vs Auburn Betting Trends
Texas A&M vs Auburn Weather
