NBA Postseason Best Bets (5/17)
Alex Christenson
The college basketball season is less than three weeks away, and here at FTN Bets we have you covered for what promises to be another thrilling year of upsets and incredible finishes. I will be taking you around the country with a betting preview of the major conferences. I recap the betting trends from last season, list projected starters, preview the season, identify a key player, and reveal how I’m backing or fading each team.
Let’s continue our preview with the SEC. Always one of my favorite conferences, the SEC has grown to be one of the most competitive conferences from top to bottom. While Kentucky has the national name-brand recognition, teams such as Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn and Florida also combine massive fan bases and sustained success. There are 14 teams in the SEC, and all teams are competitive on a nightly basis. The SEC is currently ranked as the second-best overall conference in preseason ranking by KenPom. It is an exciting conference, with elite players and fantastic coaches.
Let’s continue with our betting preview for the Texas A&M Aggies.
2023-2024 Texas A&M Aggies Betting Preview
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Buzz Williams (5th season)
2022-2023 Record: 25-10 (15-3)
ATS: 23-12
O/U: 16-19
Projected Starters: G Wade Taylor; G Tyrece Radford; G Jace Carter; G Manny Obaseki (SO); F Julius Marble
Texas A&M came within a game of a shocking SEC regular-season title, finishing just behind Alabama. Coming off a season where head coach Buzz Williams guided the Aggies to the second-most wins (27) in program history, it’s clear the Aggies are headed in the right direction. After missing the NCAA Tournament two years ago (despite going 9-9 in the SEC), Texas A&M reached the SEC Tournament finals but got upset by 10th-seeded Penn State in Round 1 of March Madness. The Aggies return 76.2% of their minutes, 28th most in the nation. Their backcourt of Wade Taylor IV (SEC first team) and Tyrece Radford (SEC second team) is one of the most underrated in the country. The large amount of returning players led to minimal freshman impact, but Williams added three solid transfers in Jace Carter (UIC), Eli Lawrence (MTSU), and Wildens Leveque (UMass).
Key Player: Wade Taylor IV
Searching for that under the radar All-American or SEC POY? Look no further than Wade Taylor IV. The Aggies lead guard did everything as a sophomore: 16.3 PPG, 4.1 APG, 36% 3P and 88% FT. Taylor posted 12 games of 20-plus points last season (Texas A&M went 9-3 in those contests), while playing winning basketball. After a subpar performance in March, we project Taylor to play with a chip on his shoulder in the biggest games this season.
Projection: This Aggies team is talented and dangerous. Texas A&M has been one of the most efficiently balanced teams in college basketball over the past two seasons. Williams’ crew ranked 34th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 44th in adjusted defensive efficiency last year per KenPom. They have won 12 straight home SEC games and return talented leaders in the backcourt. A great team with a great coach, that should be a favorite to win the SEC regular-season title this year.
How I’m Betting Texas A&M: The Aggies are great ATS, going 46-28 (62.2%) the past two seasons. They are even better within the SEC, going 29-14 (67.4%) over that same span. I am all-in on the Aggies this year and will be backing them both in the nonconference and SEC regular season. I believe in this backcourt and Buzz.
