March Madness Odds: 2 Best Bets for St. Mary's vs. Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament

Very few things in sports can match the unpredictability and excitement of March Madness.

The first round kicks off on Thursday, and we have for you a single-game betting piece for each of the day's 16 games. To see thoughts on other games, check out our full March Madness predictions page.

But for St. Mary's vs. Texas A&M, here are my favorite bets.

All March Madness odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and may change after this article is published. Stats via Bart Torvik and KenPom.

Texas A&M vs St. Mary's Best Bets for March Madness

St. Mary's Over 75.5 Points (-104)

This is a major pace-up spot for St. Mary's, and I'm intrigued by their chances to go over their team point total.

Per KenPom, the Gaels are 298th in adjusted tempo. They rate 40th in adjusted offense, so they can fill it up -- they just play too slow to truly light up the scoreboard every night.

Enter Texas A&M.

While the Aggies are a solid 41st in adjusted defense, they play super fast, ranking 29th in tempo. That should be a boon for the Gaels' output.

Torvik projects St. Mary's to nose past this line, forecasting the Gaels for 76 points. It should be close, but I also side with the over on St. Mary's team total.

St. Mary's Moneyline (-160)

Along the same lines as what I said above, I like the Gaels to win.

St. Mary's has been one of the best and most consistent programs in the country for a while now. KenPom ranks them 24th overall, and Torvik is even more bullish, slotting the Gaels 16th.

According to KenPom's numbers, the Aggies are worse than St. Mary's both offensively (49th to 40th) and defensively (41st to 20th).

The market reflects that as St. Mary's is a slim favorite, but I think you can make a case they should be favored by a bit more as their efficiency on both ends makes them a top-notch unit.

Which March Madness odds stand out to you this year? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest college basketball odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.