SportsLine’s model revealed its college basketball picks for Texas A&M vs. Xavier in the NIT 2022 finals
By CBS Sports Staff
3 min read
The champion of the 2022 National Invitation Tournament will be crowned on Thursday when the Xavier Musketeers square off against the Texas A&M Aggies in the championship game at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Musketeers (22-13), under interim coach Jonas Hayes, have made an unlikely run to the title game. They lost eight of their final 10 games prior to the 2022 NIT. Meanwhile the Aggies (27-12) have won 11 of their last 12 games. They reached the championship game with a 72-56 blowout of Washington State in the semifinals on Tuesday.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Aggies are favored by 4.5 points in the latest Texas A&M vs. Xavier odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 137.5. Before making any Xavier vs. Texas A&M picks, be sure to check out the NIT predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of more than $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Texas A&M vs. Xavier, and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for Xavier vs. Texas A&M:
- Texas A&M vs. Xavier spread: Aggies -4.5
- Texas A&M vs. Xavier over-under: 137.5 points
- Texas A&M vs. Xavier moneyline: Aggies -190, Musketeers +160
- TAMU: The Aggies rank fifth in the country in steals per game (10.1)
- XAV: Jack Nunge leads the team in scoring (13.4 points per game)
Why the Aggies can cover
Texas A&M is playing its best basketball of the season. After losing eight consecutive games and nine of 10 during conference play, the Aggies have reeled off 10 wins in their last 11 games, including wins over Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas. Their only loss during that stretch came when they played their fourth game in four days in the SEC Tournament title game.
In addition, Texas A&M has a swarming defense. With quick, on-ball defenders, the Aggies rank fifth in the country in steals per game (10.1) and 13th in turnover margin (3.9). Over the last two games, A&M has forced 19.0 turnovers per game and limited opponents to 34.3 percent shooting.
Why the Musketeers can cover
Jack Nunge is one of the best players in the Big East. The 7-foot junior transfer from Iowa leads the team in scoring (13.4 points per game) and blocks (1.4 per game) and ranks second in rebounding (7.3 per game). For his efforts this season he earned all-Big East honorable mention honors.
In addition, Xavier faces a Texas A&M team that commits a lot of fouls. The Aggies rank 245th in the country in fouls per game (17.5). That bodes well for a Musketeers team that gets to the free-throw line; Xavier ranks 14th in the nation in free-throw attempts (730) and 25th in free-throws made (512).
How to make Texas A&M vs. Xavier picks
The model is leaning over on the point total, predicting a combined 140 points, and it also has generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in more than 70 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Xavier vs. Texas A&M? And which side of the spread can you bank on in more than 70 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texas A&M vs. Xavier spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $1,200 on its college basketball picks the last five-plus years, and find out.
