Texas A&M vs Iowa State Prediction & Picks: Will the Cyclones Put the Clamps on the Aggies in Third-Place Clash?

After missing out on the championship game of the ESPN Events Invitational, Texas A&M and Iowa State will look to bounce back and finish strong in Florida as they face off for third place this evening (6:30 pm ET, ESPN2).

The #12 Aggies opened the tournament by scoring a season high in points in an 89-77 win over Penn State on Thursday, and they matched that feat in Friday's semifinal showdown with FAU, but it wasn't enough in that instance, as the Owls advanced to the title tilt with a seven-point win.

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In their opener in the Sunshine State, Iowa State trailed VCU by 15 in the first half and by eight with under five minutes but rallied to win behind a game-ending 14-2 run. However, the Cyclones couldn't dig themselves out of a double-digit hole in the semis against Virginia Tech, pulling within two late in the second half but ultimately falling by nine to the Hokies.

Who will take third place in the ESPN Events Invitational? The outcome could very well hinge on the health of two key players for Texas A&M.

Texas A&M vs Iowa State Odds

Odds are courtesy of Bovada.

Spread

• Texas A&M -1 (-115)
• Iowa State +1 (-105)

Over/Under

• Over 135 (-110)
• Under 135 (-110)

Moneyline

• Texas A&M -110
• Iowa State -110

Texas A&M vs Iowa State Prediction and Picks

Prediction: Texas A&M to win

Picks: Texas A&M ML (-110 at Bovada), Texas A&M team total over 66.5 points (-120 at Bovada) & Wade Taylor IV over 18.5 points (-107 at Bovada)

There's certainly nothing for Texas A&M to hang their heads about when it comes to their loss to FAU, but they certainly might be wondering what they could have been had Henry Coleman III and Tyrece Radford not been forced into early exits against the Owls.

Coleman had a season-high 24 points against Penn State and was off to a great start against FAU, making four of five shots and scoring eight points in 14 minutes. But he turned his ankle and wasn't able to return, and his status for today's game is unknown.

Radford, meanwhile, was limited to 18 minutes due to an illness. According to Aggies coach Buzz Williams, Radford "couldn't breathe," and his status for today is also unknown.

Still, even without Coleman and Radford, Texas A&M still put up a heck of a fight against FAU, led by Wade Taylor IV's 35 points and five assists and some helpful contributions by Hayden Hefner (14 points, 4-9 3PT) and Manny Obaseki (13 points, 6-12 FG, four rebounds).

With under 12 minutes left, they trailed 68-50, but they made it a four-point game with six minutes left. That would be as close as it would get, as the Owls rebuffed the rally from there, but it was a performance that showed what the Aggies are made of.

Ultimately, that is why I am backing Texas A&M in this matchup even with uncertainty surrounding Coleman and Radford. Taylor is a beast, and he can put the Aggies on his back against the Cyclones just like he did against FAU.

Where to Bet on College Basketball

If you are looking for college basketball odds, you will always be spoiled for choice.

Sports betting sites all over the internet offer a vast array of NCAA basketball odds throughout the season, from the opening tip in November to the conclusion of the season in early April.

Along with being able to bet on countless games, many online sportsbooks offer men's college basketball national championship odds, women's college basketball national championship odds, men's Wooden Award odds, women's Wooden Award odds, and odds on who will win early season and conference tournaments.

Below are some of the books that we highly recommend for college basketball betting:

• BetDSI
• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don't have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

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