Free NCAA Hoops Pick: Xavier vs. Texas A&M CBB Odds
Looking for Xavier Musketeers vs. Texas A&M Aggies NCAA basketball free picks & CBB odds? CBB betting sees the Musketeers taking on the Aggies on Thursday, March 31, 2022, at MSG in NYC. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NCAA Tournament matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NCAA basketball predictions like this Xavier Aggies matchup.
2022 NIT Championship Game Basketball Handicapping
(22-13) Xavier Musketeers vs. Texas A&M Aggies (27-12)
Date: Thursday, March 31, 2022
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden
CBB Moneyline Odds: Xavier +165 / Texas A&M -185
CBB Betting ATS Odds: Musketeers +4.5 / Aggies -4.5 (Bet Now!)
CBB Betting Total: O/U 137.5
Any disappointment felt from not making the big dance can all be swept away for the team that comes out on top tonight as the Musketeers and Aggies square off for the NIT Championship.
With rumors that MSG will be taking a break from hosting the NIT Final Four, one of these programs will have the honor of hoisting the hardware at the greatest venue in sports. Hey, I am a New Yorker so I am a little biased but that’s neither here nor there.
The Musketeers played the role of underdogs in their Final Four semifinal win over the Bonnies and we should have known that would be the case. I spoke of how being favored never necessarily means the team will win and sure enough the Bonnies looked terrible as favorites after winning outright as dogs in 3 straight games. Regardless, the Musketeers came away with a relatively easy win over the Bonnies with a big first half and time shooting.
The Aggies come out as favorites again and they are a perfect 4 – 0 covering the chalk in their quest to take their first piece of major hardware. After getting to the Sweet 16 in 2018, Buzz Williams has since taken over and has not been able to get A&M back to the big dance. An NIT title would, at least, show some signs that his program is moving in the right direction.
Xavier Musketeers
This is another case of a program that feels like no one thought they should be here! We heard that phrase all throughout the NCAA Tournament as upset after upset poised head coaches to produce quotes about being disrespected.
Xavier looked in form and ready to stay in New York for another couple of days after smacking around the Bonnies, 64 – 77. The Musketeers took the dog role themselves against the Bonnies and we see how that worked out, right? Barking all the way to the finals as the offense clicks at the right time of the season. This is a classic offense-defense matchup because the Aggies want to slow down the game and the Musketeers will go up and down the floor as much as you want.
The Aggies’ defense might be standing out right now, but the truth of the matter is that plenty of teams lit up Texas A&M this season. Xavier has a great chance to expose the real defensive ability of A&M and being a dog only makes it that much better. Xavier can not only cover this game but we all know that they can win this game outright too.
One thing we have not seen from any team is 3 players landing 18 points in the same game but that’s what we just saw with Xavier in the semis. Jack Nunge, Adam Kunkel, and Zach Freemantle produced big efforts to get Xavier here tonight and I expect the trio to perform at that level again. Freemantle provided the only bench points of the night as he usually comes in and lifts the team when they need him.
As a team, the Musketeers shot 53.1% from the floor as five players found their way to double-digit games. We know we can once again expect a 6-man effort to get things done for Xavier and they just need to come together one last time against a game Aggies program.
Texas A&M Aggies
Since I covered the Final Four semifinal games, you know all about what A&M did in the SEC tournament and that they fell short of hearing their name be called when the field of 68-teams was revealed. Not reaching the NCAA Tournament can now be erased with an NIT title and that is still worth playing for. Coach Williams has no idea what hardware looks like other than taking the Hokies through some nice showings in the post-season.
Regardless, Williams left Virginia Tech and inherited a program that was supposed to be on the rise, and now 3 years later an NIT bid has been the ceiling of achievements. The Aggies were Sweet 16 dancers in 2018 and Williams left the Hokies just when he got them to a high level so what is the goal here?
He certainly has these Aggies motivated to win after the letdown of missing out on the big dance but being favored probably has him concerned. There is no room for complacency because the line setters think you’re the better team as I have discussed plenty.
The defense has been stellar down the stretch of the campaign and it has certainly contributed to how far this team has come reaching the NIT finals. The Aggies barely scratched the top-125 teams in nearly every defensive category this season so there really is nothing special to talk about other than how this team is playing now. Scoring more than 65 points on this team lately has been nearly impossible and that will always put you in a position to win basketball games.
We took that under in the Aggies semifinal game and took home that money but this time it might not be easy. The Musketeers find 70 points in their sleep so it will be a difficult task to hold them down for 40 minutes.
CBB Betting Trends:
- Musketeers are 39-17-4 ATS in their last 60 Thursday games.
- Musketeers are 35-14-2 ATS in their last 51 neutral site games as an underdog.
- Aggies are 7-20 ATS in their last 27 Thursday games.
Free Xavier Musketeers vs. Texas A&M Aggies NCAAB Betting Prediction:
On the last shot of the game, the Musketeers will win this game and hoist the hardware. I have 4.5 points to put in my pocket so that suits me fine.
4* Free CBB Betting Pick: Xavier +4.5
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EJ Rainmaker says
He said “Xavier would hoist the hardware”… They did! Keep your fucking points!