Texas A&M Football vs. Auburn Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 4
Texas A&M football got back on track in week 3 with a win over the ULM Warhawks. Week 4 brings a different challenge, however, as the Auburn Tigers roll into town at 3-0 to kick off the conference slate for both of these SEC West squads. Auburn has notched wins over UMass, Cal, and Samford so far this season. Let’s see what Vegas thinks of this game.
Texas A&M Football vs. Auburn Odds, Spread and Total
Here are the odds from Fanduel Sportsbook.
Looks like Texas A&M football is favored by a decently healthy margin for an opening conference contest. I’m no betting expert, but due to the still unproven nature of the Aggies and the fact that the Tigers are yet undefeated, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a bit of movement towards Auburn as the week goes on. I think the Aggies cover this one pretty easily, however, for reasons that I will begin to outline here and continue to do so as this week goes on.
Texas A&M Football vs. Auburn How to Watch
Date: September 23, 2023
Game Time: 12:00 PM ET/11:00 AM CT
Venue: Kyle Field in College Station, Texas
How to Watch: ESPN or streaming
Texas A&M Record: 2-1
Auburn Record: 3-0
Texas A&M Football vs. Auburn Key Players to Watch
Here’s who to keep your eye on for each squad:
Auburn
Payton Thorne: The more pass-happy half of this two-quarterback system that Hugh Freeze has brought to the plains, the Michigan State transfer is hoping to build his stock with a year in the SEC West. Thorne currently averages 172.3 yards per game on 68.3% passing and boasts an 8.2 YPA average. He is a bit mistake-prone, however, having already thrown 3 interceptions—2 coming against FCS Samford.
Robby Ashford: The other quarterback in this arrangement is the one that Texas A&M football faced off against in that 13-10 slog of a game near the end of last year. Ashford’s running ability is what he’s much more often used for in Freeze’s offensive system, though he does have one passing touchdown out of his 17 attempts this year.
Eugene Asante: Fellow cultured fans of the Aggies will recall this name from countless 2021 Orange Bowl rewatches, as Asante began his career at UNC and faced off against Texas A&M football in that game. You may recall him as the last Tarheel on screen trying to tackle Devon Achane as #6 turned on the jets for a long touchdown to put the game away. Asante is a blazing-fast linebacker and the Tigers’ leading tackler, notching 6.33 per game so far—including 1.17 TFLs per game.
Texas A&M
Conner Weigman: Though this is not a ranked matchup, this is a game where a lot of eyes will be on the sophomore QB. Due to how the team in total performed against Miami, Conner’s stellar outing was swept under the rug a little bit. Texas A&M football should draw quite a few eyes in the early window on Saturday, so I’ve got this as the week Weigman truly starts to break out.
Fadil Diggs: One of the more senior defensive linemen in a group that contains an embarrassment of riches, Diggs has the versatility to both rush the passer and drop back into a hybrid linebacker role, which we saw a little of against ULM last week. He’s a key piece in Durkin’s preferred multiple scheme, and I think we’ll see some big plays from him in this one.
Jacoby Matthews: The newcomer to the back end of this defense for Texas A&M football stepped in for Jardin Gilbert this past Saturday and really showed me something. Given Gilbert’s performance against the Hurricanes, this could be a case where Matthews plays so well that he doesn’t give that spot back. Keep an eye on #2 at safety for the Aggies.
Texas A&M Football vs. Auburn Prediction and Pick
Despite what Freeze has brought in through the portal in Thorne and WR Shane Hooks (among many, many others), I still think the talent exodus from the plains in recent years will prove to be too much for the Tigers to make a lot of noise this season. Freeze is recruiting well so far, but those 5-stars have yet to make it to campus. Additionally, next week marks a rivalry game for the Tigers when Georgia comes to town, so it wouldn’t be out of the question for this coaching staff and team to have a little bit of a “looking-ahead” factor plaguing them in College Station this week. The Aggie defense will have to remain disciplined against a deceptive offensive scheme, but I think Weigman does more than enough to lift the Aggies to a decisive victory and cover. Give me the Aggies, 38-17.
