Texas A&M Aggies (3-0) +2 , o/u 46 at Miami Hurricanes (2-1), 7:30 pm Eastern Thursday, ESPN
by Zman of Predictem.com
A Big 12 team heads east for a test with an ACC squad when the Texas A&M Aggies visit the Miami Hurricanes Thursday night at the Orange Bowl.
Texas A&M has averaged 46 points a game in its three wins over Montana State, Fresno State and, last week, Louisiana-Monroe. But the Aggies defense is allowing an average of 383 yards of total offense through those first three games.
Miami beat Marshall in its season opener 31-3 as 17-point home favorites, then lost at Oklahoma 51-13 as 10-point road underdogs before besting Florida International last weekend 23-9 as 32-point home chalk.
A&M returned 15 starters this season, nine on offense and six on defense, from a team that went 9-4 last season and lost convincingly to Cal in the Holiday Bowl.
The Hurricanes returned 16 starters this year, nine on O and seven on D, from a team that went 7-6 and nipped Nevada in something called the MPC Computers Bowl.
Now in their fifth season under coach Dennis Franchione, the Aggies are 28-23 straight up but only 22-25 against the spread in that span.
On the other side, the Canes will be playing their fourth game under new head coach Randy Shannon.
Texas A&M is averaging 296 yards rushing per game so far this season, while Miami is allowing an average of 109 rushing yards per game.
Aggies junior QB Stephen McGee, who’s made 17 career collegiate starts, has completed 55% of his passes this season and owns a 2/1 TD/INT ratio.
Senior Kyle Wright has started 24 games in his career for the Hurricanes, and this season owns a 52% completion rate and a 2/2 TD/INT ratio.
This will be the first road game of this season for Texas A&M. Last year, the Aggies only played four true road games, and they went 4-0 both straight up and against the spread in those games.
Miami went 5-2 straight up and 3-3 against the spread last season at home.
These two schools haven’t met on the football field since 1944.
The Sagarin PREDICTOR ratings at USAToday.com ranks A&M 23rd at 81.2, the Canes 56th at 71.9.
The o/u is 2-0 in Aggies games this season, 1-2 in Miami games.
The Hurricanes opened up as three-point home chalk for Thursday night’s game, with a total of 48. But early action on A&M has driven the line down below a field goal, and the total has been bet down to 46. Also, Miami is listed at right around -135 on the moneyline, with the Aggies getting +115.
The Predictem Pick: Miami -2.5.
