Two teams coming off blowout wins in the 1^st round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament when the 9-seed Texas A&M Aggies face the 1-seed Houston Cougars in the 2^nd of the NCAA Tournament in the South Region with the game being played in Memphis, Tennessee, at the FedExForum with the game tipping off at 8:40 PM ET and will air on TNT.

The Texas A&M Aggies had a sluggish start to the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. With 15:05 left in the first half, they trailed the Cornhuskers 13-20 before going on a 12-2 run, thanks in part to Wade Taylor IV, who made two 3-point shots in the span of a little over 2.5 minutes. This gave the Aggies a 25-22 lead, and they would lead the Nebraska Cornhuskers 58-44. They never trailed the Cornhuskers after the 8:40 mark in the first half. 

A team that averaged 74.79 points per game this season nearly reached that number in the first half. The Aggies have scored 98 points, the most this season, and have scored 90 or more points in their last three games. However, their second-round opponent, the Houston Cougars, has been the most defensive-efficient team in college basketball this season. 

The Texas A&M Aggies last advanced to the Sweet 16 in the 2018 NCAA Tournament in which they lost to the Michigan Wolverines by a score of 72-99 and will look to advance to the Sweet 16 with a win over the 1-seed, the Houston Cougars, in the 2^nd round of the NCAA Tournament.

The solid defensive play in the most significant margin of victory in the 2024 NCAA Tournament by the Houston Cougars against the Longwood Lancers is nothing new as they have been the most defensive efficient team in college basketball this season, allowing an average of 56.97 points per game but was a surprise was how well the Cougars shot the ball as they have been a below-average scoring team for the majority of the season with an average of 73.03 points per game. 

The 86 points scored by the Houston Cougars tie their output for the 3^rd most they have scored this season. Houston has held their opponent under 70 points in their previous six games, including holding the Lancers to 46 points in the win. The Cougars led wire to wire in their 1^st round matchup and started the game off on a 10-2 run and would have a 27-point lead at the half as they led 43-16 at halftime. The Houston Cougars have advanced to at least the Sweet 16 over the previous four NCAA Tournaments, with 2020 (the Covid season) being the exception as there wasn’t an NCAA Tournament. 

The Houston Cougars will look to advance to the Sweet 16 for the 5^th consecutive NCAA Tournament when they play the Texas A&M Aggies in the 2^nd round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Sunday night.

JustBet has the Houston Cougars listed as 9.5-point favorites against the Texas A&M Aggies in the 2^nd round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Sunday night. This will be the 6^th time in the history of these two programs and the 2^nd time this season the Aggies and Cougars will face each other in college basketball. The Aggies have the 3-2 advantage all-time in the series. However, the Cougars won the matchup earlier this season by scoring 70-66 while the Aggies covered as a 7-point underdog.

This matchup will feature the best team defensively this season, the Houston Cougars, who are allowing an average of 56.97 points per game against a team that has averaged 95 points per game over their last three games. Houston won the matchup earlier this season by a score of 70-66. However, the Aggies covered the spread as a 7-point underdog. I look for Houston’s defense to be suffocating in this matchup, so I am giving the edge to the Cougars in the game on Sunday night. Buy the .5 point and lay the points with the Houston Cougars when they face the Texas A&M Aggies in the 2^nd round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.