The Oregon Ducks take on the Texas A&M Aggies in Las Vegas, NV, as part of the Players Era Festival. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on TBS.
The Aggies are favored by 3 points on the spread with a moneyline of -165. The total is set at 147 points.
Here’s my Oregon vs Texas A&M predictions and college basketball picks for November 26, 2024.
Oregon vs Texas A&M Odds, Pick
| Oregon Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
+3 -105 | 147 -110 / -110 | +140 |
| Texas A&M Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
-3 -115 | 147 -110 / -110 | -165 |
- Oregon vs Texas A&M spread: Texas A&M -3
- Oregon vs Texas A&M total: 147 points
- Oregon vs Texas A&M moneyline: Texas A&M -165, Oregon +140
- Oregon vs Texas A&M best bet: Oregon +3
My Oregon vs Texas A&M College Basketball Betting Preview
The Ducks breathed a sigh of relief last week. They skated by Civil War arch-rival Oregon State on the road, improving to 5-0 on the season. They now enter the Players Era Festival looking to add more heft to their resume; the schedule has mostly been soft thus far.
The most important development from the Oregon State win was seeing Jackson Shelstad start to find the range. The promising sophomore got off to a slow start this year shooting the basketball, but he hit multiple huge triples to help drag the Ducks across the finish line in Corvallis.
Add in his stellar table-setting – he has 24 assists to just three turnovers through five games – and he is starting to live up to mammoth expectations.
Speaking of which, towering forward Nate Bittle has emerged into a force. Like Shelstad, his perimeter jumper is still MIA, but the 7-footer has done everything else. He’s a two-way monster on the glass, and his touch with a right half hook is up there for the best in the country.
Oregon has big man depth in the form of Kwame Evans Jr. and Supreme Cook, but the Ducks are at their best when Bittle is the man in the middle.
That’s especially true because the Ducks can space the floor around him – especially if Shelstad gets going.
TJ Bamba has slid into the Jermaine Couisnard role as a power guard scorer, and wings/forwards Jadrian Tracey, Keeshawn Barthelemy and Brandon Angel have all shown off their strokes thus far (combined 18-of-45 from deep, 41.9%).
Dana Altman has been known to change defenses frequently. Per Synergy, though, that has not been thus far this year. The Ducks have only played zone on 4.5% of their possessions, instead leaning heavily on a compact man-to-man.
That has helped their rebounding.
Texas A&M Basketball
Texas A&M enters on a four-game winning streak after dropping a tough season opener at UCF. The Aggies played with fire for 20 minutes in their last game, trailing Southern by 14 at halftime. But a 24-2 run across 10 minutes helped them get back in full control of the game.
This squad is a typical Buzz Williams outfit: dominate the offensive glass with maniacal effort and physicality, bombard the rim to get to the free throw line and pressure the ball defensively while staying super compact away from the ball.
He has assembled a roster well-suited for that approach.
Wade Taylor IV is still around, but the emergence of transfer Zhuric Phelps as a heavy-usage attacker has allowed Taylor to fit in more as a shooter and creator. Phelps is a terrific athlete, as is former five-star recruit Manny Obaseki, who has really started to deliver on that immense pedigree.
All three players are threats to draw contact and live at the charity stripe.
The army inside is a handful, as well.
Henry Coleman III ranks second in the entire country in offensive rebound rate, corralling a staggering 25.2% of misses. Pharrel Payne, Solomon Washington and Andersson Garcia are all plenty capable on the boards, as well, making it no surprise that the Aggies land No. 2 in KenPom’s offensive rebounding rate metric.
The Aggies’ defensive structure can be exposed by great jump shooting; they consistently rank low in 3-point rate allowed.
That has yet to happen this season, though, as none of Texas A&M’s opponents have shot over 33% from deep.
Oregon vs Texas A&M Betting Analysis
Texas A&M’s style can bludgeon foes, but Oregon is a deep and physical squad itself. Bamba and Bittle will relish the battle, and Angel and athletic sophomore Evans will be critical pieces, as well.
The most important aspects for my Oregon bet are the Ducks’ ability to knock down shots, and their level of compete on the glass.
Oregon has shooters, and Shelstad’s late surge against Oregon State gives me hope he will climb out of his slump.
The Ducks also can't surrender a litany of second chances. Texas A&M’s effort will get it some offensive rebounds, but Oregon can't let it be a bloodbath.
Given where I line this game (pick'em), I’m happy to take +3. Anything lower than that, though, and I’d lean towards simply taking the moneyline.
Pick: Oregon +3
