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Penn State vs. Texas A&M picks, predictions: Who wins NCAA Tournament first-round game?

jeremy cluff, arizona republic
·4 min read

No. 10 seed Penn State and No. 7 seed Texas A&M face off on Thursday in an NCAA Tournament first-round game.

The game is scheduled for 6:55 p.m. MST and can be seen on TBS.

Who will win the game?

Check out these picks and predictions for the contest.

Texas A&M is a 3.5-point favorite in the game, according to Tipico Sportsbook.

FanDuel: Penn State 69, Texas A&M 65

Larry Rupp writes: "Penn State has a much better opportunity to capitalize on its strength here considering Texas A&M allows a whopping 8.1 made three-pointers per game (No. 285 in NCAA). The Nittany Lions rank among the top 75 teams in both fouls (15.7) and opponents free throw attempts per game (15.2). Head coach Micah Shrewsberry's team enters the NCAA Tournament 8-0 against the spread (ATS) in its last eight games as an underdog as well as 11-1 ATS in its last 12 games in March. Texas A&M is only 1-7 ATS in its last eight games on a Thursday and finds itself in a disadvantageous matchup."

Fansided: Take Penn State to beat Texas A&M

Josh Yourish writes: "Penn State is most vulnerable inside on defense, we saw that when Zach Edey just dismantled them, but Texas A&M doesn’t have a post threat to dominate the game. This feels like Micah Shrewsberry’s year and despite thinking A&M should be a much higher seed, I think they’ll lose to the Nittany Lions in the first round."

NCAA Tournament schedule, TV: March Madness game times, channels, announcers, how to watch

Sportsbook Wire: Texas A&M 72, Penn State 69

It writes: "Texas A&M is 23-11-0 ATS this season. Penn State is 20-14-1 ATS this year."

NCAA Tournament odds: 2023 March Madness point spreads, money lines, over/unders for games

Will Texas A&M beat Penn State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?
Will Texas A&M beat Penn State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?

Dimers: Texas A&M 67, Penn State 65

It writes: "Dimers.com's predicted final score for Penn State vs. Texas A&M at Wells Fargo Arena this Thursday has Texas A&M winning 67-65."

March Madness odds: Houston, Kansas, Alabama, Purdue 2023 men's NCAA Tournament favorites

Sports Chat Place: Go with Penn State with the points vs. Texas A&M

Randy Chambers writes: "The oddsmakers don’t seem to show much love to the Penn State Nittany Lions, but yet they find ways to win most nights and made their way to the Big Ten Tournament Final, losing to number 1 seed Purdue by a bucket. The Texas A&M Aggies are the better defensive side, and I guess that’s what gives them the edge. However, the difference here could be the outside shot, as PSU is 12th in three point percentage and Texas A&M is 278th. If shots fall for Penn State, the Big Ten has a winner here. Give me the bucket."

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Penn State vs. Texas A&M picks, predictions for March Madness game