NCAA Football Free Pick – Saturday, December 11, 2010
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(21) Washington (6-2) at Texas A&M (8-1)
Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 4:30 PM EST on ESPN2
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Spread: -2
Over/Under: 148
The No. 21 Washington Huskies will play its first road game of the season when the travel to Reed Arena in College Station, Texas to take on a red-hot Aggies team that will look to extend is current win streak to seven with a win on Saturday.
A&M leads the all-time series 3-2, with the Huskies winning the last meeting between these two teams, 74-63 on Dec 22, 2009.
Washington will bring its fast-paced offense that has put up over 90 points in all six of its wins thus far, including a season-high 118 against McNesse State in its home opener. The Huskies lead the nation in scoring, averaging 95 points per game.
If the Aggies are going to pull off the upset, they will have to keep the game from turning into a track meet that is likely to create a series of one-on-one matchups in the open court that will likely favor a quick Washington squad.
That’s not to say the Aggies aren’t fast, but they are better equipped to use their defensive strength to control the game’s tempo, helping to limit the number of turnovers to fast breaks, while allowing the offense to set up for more high percentage shot selections.
Forcing Washington to play this game a half court at a time will really swing things in A&M’s favor.
Washington’s guards will be quicker than any that the Aggies have faced this season, and they will need to create space off screens to make the offense work. They will also rely heavily on their tough frontcourt led by 6-foot-8 junior forward David Loubeau who leads the team with nearly 5.5 rebounds per game, and is flanked by senior forward Nathan Walkup.
The Aggies are shooting at a 45-percent clip with guard Derrick Lewis leading the way, hitting an amazing 64.5 percent from the floor. BJ Homes presents a perimeter danger shooting 42 percent from 3-point range.
Washington meanwhile, is led by 5-foot-9 junior and Wooden Award candidate, Isaiah Thomas who is averaging almost 16 points per outing and dishing out four assists while draining 36 percent from beyond the arc.
The Huskies are also strong inside with primary big man Matthew Bryan-Amaning, a 6-foot-9 senior from London, England. The squad is rounded out with sophomore guard Abdul Gaddy who is shooting a white-hot 60-percent from beyond the arc so far this season.
I expect Washington to try to force this game into being a full court game, coming out quick and trying to use its fast break. Washington has been prone to turning the ball over this season, and they’ve lost both close games they’ve been in. If the Aggies can keep this game close late in the second half, all of the pressure will be on the Huskies.
The odds makers have the Washington Huskies as a -2 point favorite with an over/under of 148.
Free Pick: Washington 87, Texas A&M 74
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