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SMU will likely need to win their next two games to advance to the ACC Championship and fight for a berth in the College Football Playoff. Is there a chance they make the playoff if they don't win the ACC Championship game? They'll need two more dominating wins in their regular season, but it still may not be enough with the logjam of contending teams in the SEC. SMU's best path is a win over Miami in the conference championship game. Virginia needs one more win to be bowl-eligible, and it won't be easy with two games remaining against SMU and Virginia Tech. The Hokies defeated them by 38 points last season as one-point favorites. It is time to continue our college football odds series with an SMU-Virginia prediction and pick.
SMU-Virginia Last Game – Matchup History
It isn't too surprising that SMU and Virginia have never had a football matchup. The teams have never joined the same conference, as SMU is in its first year in the ACC. There is also no geographical connection between the two teams, which is one of the main reasons why conference relocation has its fair share of haters. This year's game has some meaning, but SMU-Virginia, in the second-last game of the season, won't always have much juice from a competitive/rivalry standpoint.
Overall Series: 0-0
Here are the SMU-Virginia College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: SMU-Virginia Odds
SMU: -9.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -361
Virginia: +9.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +278
Over: 58.5 (-110)
Article Continues Below
Under: 58.5 (-110)
How to Watch SMU vs. Virginia
Time: noon ET/9 AM PT
TV: ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why SMU Could Cover The Spread/Win
SMU has only lost one game this year, which looks much more acceptable now that we've seen what BYU did for the rest of the season. They've defeated the rest of their opponents, which gives them an undefeated record in conference play. The Mustangs had their conference schedule start with a bang when they won three consecutive games against the spread, including a 26-point win over Florida State, a seven-point win over Louisville, and a 30-point win over Stanford. SMU may be getting complacent, as they've covered the spread in just one of their last three victories, but they are too close to the top of the mountain to let it slip. We can expect a reasonable effort in this matchup.
Why Virginia Could Cover The Spread/Win
Virginia's most significant win of the season came two weeks ago when they defeated Pitt as 7.5-point underdogs. The win put Miami back in the ACC Championship race, which didn't do much for the Cavaliers but could've changed the scope of the playoff. The victory over Pitt is Virginia's only one in the last five games, and their two most recent losses were blowouts. Notre Dame defeated them by 21 points last week, while North Carolina won by 27 when Virginia were 3.5-point favorites.
Final SMU-Virginia Prediction & Pick
Virginia had some good moments at the start of the season, but it has been getting ugly in two of the past three games. Their Pitt victory was a small step back into the win column, but they gave it away again in South Bend last week. SMU has much more to play for in this matchup, and Virginia could already be looking ahead to their rivalry matchup with Virginia Tech next week. It could be a game where a minimal rivalry effect will have Virginia sleepwalk through in a look-ahead spot and have SMU roll to a victory.
Final SMU-Virginia Prediction & Pick: SMU -9.5 (-105)
