:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72083149/usa_today_20215228.0.jpg "March Madness 2023 picks: Texas A&M-Penn State prediction in First Round of NCAA Tournament")
The No. 7 seed Texas A&M Aggies (25-9, 15-3 SEC) and No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions (22-13, 10-10 Big Ten) will hit the floor in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The contest is set to tip off at 9:55 p.m. ET from Wells Fargo Arena in Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, and can be seen on TBS.
Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Penn State picks
Spread: Texas A&M -3
Over/Under: 134.5
Moneyline: Texas A&M -150, Penn State +130
Texas A&M finished the regular season in second place in the SEC standings and stayed consistent by finishing up as the runner-up in the conference tournament against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Penn State placed tied for ninth in a jumbled Big Ten and came close to pulling off a last-minute comeback in the conference championship loss to the Purdue Boilermakers.
The Aggies rate 25th overall in KenPom with a much more balanced team, featuring an offense and defense that both rate inside the top 40 in adjusted efficiency. The Nittany Lions are 39th in KenPom overall including with a 17th-rated offense, though the defense is 101st on the opposite end. Penn State will need to get stops, and the Nittany Lions will have trouble stopping this Aggies offense, which is led by Wade Taylor IV, who's scoring 16.5 points per game.
Pick: Texas A&M -3