The No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies host the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The game kicks off at 12:00 p.m. ET in College Station, Texas.
The Aggies are listed as 3-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 47.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and best same game parlay for this College Football Playoff matchup.
Miami vs. Texas A&M prediction, preview
Miami Preview
The Hurricanes were the final at-large bid for the College Football Playoff, edging out Notre Dame. Despite missing out on the ACC Championship Game, Miami is the lone ACC team in the College Football Playoff. While it was a roundabout route for Miami, the Hurricanes were undoubtedly the most talented team in the ACC. Carson Beck is an experienced quarterback, and while he has turnover problems at times, he also has a lot of talent and big-game experience. That is important because Texas A&M has one of the best home-field advantages in the country. Beck played in a lot of big games in environments like Kyle Field during his time at Georgia. He should be ready to perform, along with some highly talented skill position players.
Texas A&M Preview
The Aggies are hosting a College Football Playoff in just the second season under Mike Elko. They had a great season in the SEC, going 11-0 before losing to Texas in the season finale. Marcel Reed had a great season at quarterback, throwing to one of the best wide receiver duos in college football. The Aggies also have a strong offensive line and run game as well. Mike Elko is one of the best defensive coaches in the country and will have that unit ready to go as well. Texas A&M has one of the best home-field advantages in the country and will try to feed off of that to get this win.
Miami vs. Texas A&M Same Game Parlay
My favorite same-game parlay bet is Miami +4.5 parlayed with the first-half under 24.5 points. The Hurricanes should be able to keep this game close. Texas A&M played possibly the easiest schedule imaginable in the SEC. They only played one team in the top half of the league, Texas, and lost. In non-conference play, the Aggies did get challenged by playing Notre Dame, but their defense could not get a stop in that game. They ultimately won the game 41-40, but it exposed some vulnerabilities in this Aggie defense. Carson Beck and the Miami offense should be able to move the ball. They have a strong offensive line that can hold up against the Aggies’ pass rush. That should allow Miami to hit some passing plays to the great Malachi Toney and break some long rushes.
That being said, this game should start off slow. Both teams should try to run the ball early on to feel out the game. Texas A&M will want to run the ball to keep it away from Carson Beck. Miami will want to run the ball to slow down the pace of the game and keep the crowd quiet. Both coaches will be content with a close, lower-scoring first half, then they can make their adjustments at halftime to try to win the game. My best bet is for this game to start low-scoring, then for Miami to hang in down the stretch and stay within four points.
