Preview: Texas A&M vs. Georgia

Time: 6:00pm

Place: Reed Arena

TV: SEC Network

Line: Texas A&M is favored by 4

Advanced Metrics via KenPom: Texas A&M has a 65% chance to win

Hey, we’re favored! 65% chance to win! Those are exciting numbers, right?

Well, yes and no. Yes, it’s nice to see that we’re expected to win a basketball game. But no… things did not go well the last time we were in this position. The last time we were favored Missouri crushed us at home 66-43, which has to rank pretty highly among the worst home A&M performances of all time.

When you add that to the fact that we’re 0-5 at home in SEC play (with four of those losses by double digits), you could forgive me for asking the Bulldogs if they’re willing to stay home. I can’t explain it, but we’ve been legitimately better away from home for virtually the entire season.

Hopefully that changes tonight.

Results of Note

Georgia is 1-9 in the SEC, and their lone victory came at home over 0-10 Vanderbilt. Of those nine conference losses, eight have been by double digits.

They have a really, really bad non-conference loss (by 24 to Georgia State), and they inexplicably beat a solid Big XII at home (Texas). They are the Texas A&M of the East.

One final note: They are 1-6 in true road games this year.

Y’all, it’s been a while since I felt good about our chances. But here we are.

Things to Watch

This is going to be a rock fight of the highest order. Take a quick look at these conference rankings, then seek shelter.

• Three Point Shooting: Texas A&M (13th), Georgia (14th)
• Field Goal Percentage: Texas A&M (11th), Georgia (14th)
• Defensive Efficiency: Texas A&M (12th), Georgia (14th)
• Offensive Efficiency: Texas A&M (11th), Georgia (12th)
• Turnovers: Texas A&M (9th), Georgia (14th)
• Turnovers Caused: Texas A&M (11th), Georgia (14th)

Sometimes, a piece of artwork can be so ugly that it becomes beautiful.

Overall Thoughts

There’s no other way to slice it - this is a game we should expect to win. We’re not definitively better than Georgia… but we ARE better. We’re better, and we’re playing at home, and that’s usually enough to get the job done in college basketball.

But something tells me it won’t be that easy.

BTHO Georgia