March 18, 2026, 3:34 p.m. CT
It all comes down to Thursday for Texas A&M basketball, as the Aggies gear up to face one of the tallest and most physical squads in college basketball in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
March Madness has officially begun, with Texas besting North Carolina State and Howard defeating UMBC on Tuesday night. Prairie View A&M will play Lehigh and Miami (Ohio) will compete against SMU to round out the First Four, before the opening round begins on Thursday, which includes the Maroon and White’s matchup against Saint Mary’s.
The Gaels earned the No. 7 seed after a 27-5 (16-2 in WCC) campaign with a victory over No. 3 Gonzaga during the regular season. Saint Mary’s has three players averaging 10-plus points per contest, while ranking as the No. 13 rebounding team in the country.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M brings the No. 9 scoring offense in college basketball to Oklahoma City on Thursday. Still, the Aggies have consistently struggled to out-rebound opponents and establish dominance in the paint, outside of graduate forward Rashaun Agee. The Maroon and White’s high rate of fouls in the second half could be another mismatch against the Gaels, who are the most-efficient free-throw shooting team in the nation.
Here are the betting odds, predictions and statistical trends via BetMGM for Texas A&M’s matchup against Saint Mary’s in the first round of the NCAA Tournament:
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Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, March 18
No. 10 Texas A&M vs. No. 7 Saint Mary’s – Oklahoma City, Okla. | 6:35 p.m. CT | TruTV:Spread: Saint Mary’s -3.5Over/under: 146.5Moneyline: Texas A&M +135, Saint Mary’s -165Prediction: Texas A&M – 52.5% confidenceTexas A&M offensive trendsTexas A&M averaged 17.8 offensive rebounds per game (587 rebounds/33 games) last season — best among Power Conference teams; League Avg: 10.8Texas A&M has averaged 15.4 offensive rebounds per game (1,528 rebounds/99 games) since the start of the 2023-24 season — best among Power Conference teams; League Avg: 11.1Texas A&M shot 27% from three (98/363) in the second half last season — lowest among SEC Teams; League Avg: 35%Texas A&M defensive trendsTexas A&M has allowed opponents to shoot 30% from three (192/638) this season — 2nd best among Power Conference defenses; League Avg: 35%Texas A&M has forced 13.5 turnovers per game (433 turnovers/32 games) this season — 38th best among Division 1 Teams; League Avg: 11.6Texas A&M allowed 8.7 made three-pointers per game last season — 5th highest among Power Conference defenses; League Avg: 7.7Texas A&M has averaged 8.1 steals per game (259 steals/32 games) this season — tied for 5th best among Power Conference teams; League Avg: 6.6
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