2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Yale vs. Texas A&M

In the first round of the 2025 men's college basketball tournament, the No. 13 Yale Bulldogs will take on the No. 4 Texas A&M Aggies on Thursday. Could Yale upset another SEC school for the second consecutive year? Or will Texas A&M take care of business and avoid an early exit?

To see thoughts on other games, check out our full men's college basketball tournament predictions page. But for Yale vs. Texas A&M, here are my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds.

Betting Picks for Yale vs. Texas A&M

Yale +6.5 (-102)

The Bulldogs have been here before, having upset the Auburn Tigers a season ago in the first round of the tourney as a No. 13 seed. This time around, Yale matches up well against a Texas A&M team that has lost five of their last seven contests.

KenPom has the Aggies ranked 44th in adjusted offensive rating (116.2), but BartTorvik has them 315th in effective field-goal percentage (47.5%), 316th in three-point percentage (31.1%), and 249th in offensive turnover rate (18.2%). Texas A&M relies heavily on scoring second-chance points with a 42.0% offensive rebound rate (1st) and scoring off turnovers with a 19.7% defensive turnover rate (54th), which bodes well for Yale.

Fresh off of winning the Ivy League tournament, the Bulldogs are 19th in offensive turnover rate (14.4%) and 22nd in defensive rebound rate (25.8%), so they have the formula to make the Aggies uncomfortable. Not to mention, Yale has an experienced guard duo (John Poulakidas and Bez Mbeng) -- which can be extremely beneficial in the tourney -- that has helped the Bulldogs register the 40th-best effective field-goal percentage (54.8%) and a whopping 81.4 points per game.

In my favorite potential first-round upsets piece ahead of the opening slate of games, Yale was mentioned as a team to keep an eye on due to their ability to combat Texas A&M's strengths.

Bez Mbeng Over 17.5 Points + Assists (-111)

As mentioned above, half of Yale's talented and experienced backcourt duo is Bez Mbeng, who averages the third-most PPG (13.4) and most APG (5.6) on the Bulldogs' roster. Mbeng also paces Yale in usage rate (24.6%) and assist rate (28.8%), which makes me gravitate towards his points-plus-assists line against Texas A&M.

Even with the Aggies boasting a stout defense that is seventh in adjusted defensive rating (92.1), they are giving up a 27.1% free-throw rate and 64.8% assist rate. Meanwhile, Mbeng is posting a team-high 4.3 free-throw attempts per game for the Bulldogs, potentially leading to some easy points for Mbeng in Thursday's clash.

Up to this point, Mbeng has tallied 18-plus points and assists in 15 of his 28 starts this season, resulting in a 53.6% implied probability or -116 odds. If Yale wants to remain competitive -- and potentially win outright -- against Texas A&M, they'll need Mbenga to be active early and often on both ends of the floor.

You can also download our FREE college basketball printable bracket.

Get one Bet Back Token to use on any wager on any college basketball games taking place from March 17th through March 23rd, 2025. See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Which bets stand out to you for today's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest men's college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.