NCAA Tournament Pick & Preview: South Region – Texas A&M vs. Yale – Thursday, March 20, 2025

The 13-seed Yale Bulldogs (22-7) and fourth-seed Texas A&M Aggies (22-10) will square off in the first round of the Men’s Basketball Championship in the South Region on Thursday, March 20 at 7:25 PM ET at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. MyBookie offers the Aggies as favorites with a point spread at -7.5 (+100).

Yale Bulldogs Betting Preview

The Bulldogs have a three-game win streak under their belt as they arrive in this upcoming first round matchup. Their recent success was a 90-84 performance over the Cornell Big Red in the Ivy League Tournament Final.

John Poulakidas stood out with 25 points on 57.1 percent shooting overall. In total, Yale had four players reach double figures. They will need strong scoring opportunities from multiple players in order to take down the Aggies.

Yale is 25th in the nation for producing 81.7 points a game. Their defense has held opponents to 69.7 points each contest, ranking 108th. This margin is appealing, assuming they are consistent in this tournament.

The Bulldogs are 92nd overall when it comes to strength of schedule and their point differentials. Per 100 possessions on offense, their efficiency ranks 12th and their defensive efficiency at the same rate ranks 90th. This shows they take care of the basketball on offense and they typically do well on the defensive end. 

Texas A&M Aggies Betting Preview

The Aggies had their two-game win streak snapped with a double-overtime 94-89 defeat against the Texas Longhorns in the second round of the SEC Tournament. They are 2-3 in their previous five battles, which does not offer them great momentum.

Wade Taylor IV led with 29 points and three assists, but had six costly turnovers (13 total for the team) that negatively impacted his performance. They will need stronger guard play and limit turnovers if they want an opportunity to win against the Bulldogs.

Texas A&M puts up 74.3 points a game, ranking 161st. Their defense limits opposing teams to 67.9 points each matchup, ranking 59th. This margin is thin, leaving little room for error.

The Aggies are 21st overall in their point differential and strength of schedule. Per 100 possessions, their offensive efficiency ranks 133rd while their defensive efficiency is at 65th. Despite weaker offensive numbers compared to the Bulldogs, the overall ranking in strength of schedule makes a bigger impact to the team.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

The best Yale Bulldogs vs. Texas A&M Aggies betting odds can be found through MyBookie, who currently has the Aggies as 7.5-point favorites. The Aggies have a 78.2 percent chance of winning, per market analysis. While the Aggies have an appealing opportunity to win, the Bulldogs are likely to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Yale Bulldogs +7.5 (-120)