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Texas A&M and Texas meet in Austin on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM ET at the Moody Center in a rivalry spot with real SEC weight behind it. ESPN has the broadcast. Texas A&M comes in 13-4 overall and has been good enough away from home to be competitive, but they’re only 2-3 on the road. Texas is 11-6 with a strong 9-3 home record, and that’s a big reason the Longhorns are laying -5.5.
The total is 165.5, which is a statement number. It’s basically betting that both offenses show up and that the game stays aggressive for 40 minutes, not just for one hot stretch. With these two teams, that’s plausible. It’s also the kind of number where one cold five-minute stretch can make you hate your life if you bet Over.
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Texas A&M Aggies vs Texas Longhorns Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should always monitor updated college basketball odds before tipoff. For the latest college basketball odds, check the market closer to game time in case this spread or total moves.
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M Aggies | +190 | +5.5 (-114) | O 165.5 |
| Texas Longhorns | -241 | -5.5 (-110) | U 165.5 |
Texas A&M Aggies Betting Form
Texas A&M’s profile is pretty simple. They can score on anyone. Even in the loss to Tennessee, they put up 82, Jacari Lane had 20 and nine assists, and Pop Isaacs chipped in 16. That’s a good signal because it means they can still function offensively against a physical opponent that wants to drag you into tough possessions. The Aggies’ pace and shot volume do a lot of the work for them, and it shows up in the season numbers.
They’re averaging 93.0 points per game and hitting 11.5 threes per game. That’s a huge scoring engine, and it’s why taking points with them is appealing. You’re not asking them to grind out 62 possessions and win 68-66. You’re asking them to keep scoring, keep pressure on the favorite, and make every Texas run something they have to answer. The main risk is that A&M’s road form hasn’t been as clean. A couple careless turnovers or a poor defensive stretch in a hostile building can turn +5.5 into a number you never really threaten.
For a season-level view of how A&M has played across venues, Texas A&M stats and results are useful to scan quickly.
Texas Longhorns Betting Form
Texas comes in off an 80-64 win over Vanderbilt, and the box score is what you want to see if you’re laying points. Multiple scorers getting there, a clean margin, and no sense that the game was ever really in danger. Matas Vokietaitis and Tramon Mark did the scoring work, and Dailyn Swain’s all-around line matters because Texas is at its best when it has more than one way to create offense.
Texas is averaging 87.3 points per game with a 49.0% field goal percentage, and the free-throw rate is a major part of their identity. They get to the line a ton, which is a huge edge in rivalry games because whistles can decide stretches, especially in the second half. The home record at 9-3 matters too. Texas has been more stable at home, and that stability is usually what you want when you’re laying 5.5 against an offense that can score 90 on a normal night.
Texas A&M Aggies vs Texas Longhorns Matchup Breakdown
This one is going to be about what kind of game Texas allows. If the Longhorns can keep A&M out of early-clock threes and limit transition looks, the Aggies’ offense becomes more “possession-to-possession,” which is still dangerous but less explosive. If A&M is getting comfortable threes early and turning missed shots into runouts, 5.5 is a tough number for Texas to cover because the game will swing quickly.
Free throws are the other massive lever. Texas’s ability to draw fouls can slow A&M’s pace and force them to defend longer. It can also put A&M’s key defenders in foul trouble, which matters when you’re trying to chase shooters around screens for 40 minutes. On the flip side, if this becomes a whistle-heavy game, it can also push the total upward, especially if the last four minutes are a parade to the line.
The total at 165.5 is the real debate. The raw scoring averages say Over is reasonable, but rivalry games can get weird. Sometimes both teams shoot early and it’s 44-42 at half. Other times the energy turns into rushed shots and empty possessions. If Texas controls tempo and lives at the line, the Over can still cash, but it’s less automatic than the number might suggest.
If you want a consistent way to think about pace versus efficiency, plus how fouling impacts totals late, the sports betting strategy guide is a good framework.
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Texas A&M Aggies vs Texas Longhorns Predictions and Best Bets
My lean is Texas A&M +5.5. I don’t love their road record, but I do trust their offense to keep them in range. When a team can score 90 on a normal night and hit threes in volume, +5.5 is meaningful because you can survive a bad defensive stretch and still get back inside the number quickly. I also don’t mind that Texas is a favorite here. If Texas is controlling the game but it’s still close late, A&M has multiple cover paths with threes and late free throws.
On the total, I lean Over 165.5, but it’s a thinner edge than the side. The case is that both teams can really score, and Texas’s free-throw rate is a quiet Over helper. The risk is that Texas tries to slow it down and turn this into a half-court game where A&M has to work for every three. If the pace dips even slightly, 165.5 becomes a demanding number.
If I’m choosing one clean bet, I’d rather take the points with the more explosive offense.
Best Bet: Texas A&M +5.5 (-114).
NCAAB Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
Rivalry games are where discipline matters most. The market prices emotion, the crowd, and recent results quickly, and the best bets usually come from how the teams actually score, not how much the moment “means.” Possessions, shot volume, and free-throw edges decide spreads like this more often than raw record.
If you’re building a Saturday card, today’s college basketball picks are a good way to compare sides and totals across the slate and avoid forcing action on a number you don’t like.
