1* Free Pick on Houston -9½
Houston is the most physical team in the country and it shows every time they step on the court.
They don't just beat you; they wear you down until you want to be anywhere else.
Texas A&M lives on the offensive glass to make up for their poor outside shooting.
The problem is that Houston is one of the few teams that can actually out-muscle the Aggies in the paint.
The Cougars rank near the top of every defensive metric, including effective field goal percentage allowed.
They force opponents into long scoring droughts that turn five-point leads into fifteen-point leads in a flash.
Texas A&M struggles to find consistent scoring when they aren't getting second-chance opportunities.
Against this Houston frontline, those put-back chances will be few and far between.
Houston’s defense is the gold standard because they don't allow anything easy at the rim.
They rank inside the top ten for blocks and steals, making every entry pass a high-risk play for the offense.
Texas A&M relies heavily on drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line to stay competitive.
However, the Cougars have the bench depth to absorb foul trouble and maintain their aggressive style of play.
The Aggies are one of the worst teams in the country when it comes to effective field goal percentage.
If you can't hit jump shots against Houston, you are essentially asking for a blowout loss.
Houston has covered the spread in eight of their last ten neutral-site games.
They travel well and their style of play translates perfectly to the high-pressure tournament atmosphere.
Texas A&M will try to turn this into a rock fight, but Houston is the better team in that environment.
The Cougars are more disciplined and commit fewer unforced errors when the game slows down.
Look for Houston to dominate the middle ten minutes of the game to build a double-digit lead.
Once they have the cushion, they will use their ball control to limit any chance of an Aggie comeback.
The Cougars don't take their foot off the gas even when they have a comfortable lead.
Their relentless ball pressure will force turnovers that lead to easy transition buckets.
This number is big, but Houston's elite defense makes it very hard for opponents to keep the score close.
The Cougars will win the battle in the trenches and pull away late to cover the spread.
Bet Houston -9.5 (-115).
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