Texas A&M vs Yale Prediction, Preview & Odds: NCAA Tournament First Round

Originally posted on College Football News
By Pete Fiutak | Last updated Mar 19, 2025 4:06 AM ET

Who wants to deal with Yale?

It’s a smart (duh) veteran team that took out Auburn last season.

It ran it back with a regular season and tournament championship season in the Ivy League, battled a few Big Ten teams earlier in the year - and lost to Purdue and Minnesota - and now it gets a shot to go big game hunting against the SEC in another NCAA Tournament.

Texas A&M buckled late with a four-game losing streak before getting it back with a huge win over Auburn. It’s been rocky over the last month and is prime to get picked off with a mediocre performance.

The winner gets Michigan or UC San Diego on Saturday.

Texas A&M vs Yale Game Preview

Texas A&M vs Yale How To Watch

Date: Thursday, March 20
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Time: 7:35 pm ET
TV: TBS
Teams: (13) Yale (22-7), (4) Texas A&M (22-10)
Region: South

NCAA Tournament Schedule, Predictions, Previews

Why Yale Will Win

It has size, and it knows how to use on the glass at both ends and on the inside.

There’s a nice mix of things going on here. The Bulldogs don’t take a ton of threes, but they make them when they take them at almost a 39% clip, and they usually clean up the mess on the misses.

They also don’t screw up only giving up ten turnovers per game.

Texas A&M can’t shoot - like, at all - they’re miserable from the free throw line, and …

Why Texas A&M Will Win

Yeah, can’t shoot, is totally awful from three, turns it over a ton, and it fouls way too much. But this bunch can do one thing really, really well.

It rebounds just about everything.

The problem is that it gets a ton of chances because this team can’t do anything from any distance, but it makes up for it by being No. 1 in the nation in offensive rebounds.

It’s used to playing in ugly battles that come down to defense, making the extra play, and clamping down when absolutely needed, but …

Texas A&M vs Yale: Who Will Win?

This is a problem for Texas A&M if it lets Yale hang around, and it’s going to let Yale hang around.

The Aggies will get knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in spectacular fashion …

But not in this.

It’ll get way too hairy, but the Texas A&M defense and rebounding will come through when absolutely needed.

Texas A&M vs Yale Prediction, Betting Lines

Prediction: Texas A&M 70, Yale 62
Texas A&M vs Yale Betting Lines
BetMGM Line: Texas A&M -7.5, o/u: 132.5
DraftKings Line: Texas A&M -7.5, o/u: 132.5
FanDuel Line: Texas A&M -6.5, o/u: 132.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3

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