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It is an American Conference battle as Tulane visits SMU. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Tulane-SMU prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Tulane comes into the game sitting at 12-8 on the year with a 3-5 conference record. It has been a struggle as of late, losing five of their last seven games overall. The last two have been close though. After a two-point win over a tenth-ranked Memphis team before facing UTSA. It was a back-and-forth game throughout the second half, but UTSA would come away with a one-point win. Last time out, they faced Charlotte. Charlotte led from start to finish in that one, and while Tulane made it close at the end, they would fall 75-71.
Meanwhile, SMU is 13-7 on the year and 4-3 in conference play. After a 4-1 start in conference play, SMU has lost two straight. First, North Texas made a small comeback and ended up winning 68-66. Last time out, they played Witchita State. SMU had a lead going into the second half, but Witchita State would make a comeback. They would ultimately win the game 77-72.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Tulane-SMU Odds
Tulane: +9.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +390
SMU: – 9.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -530
Over: 157.5 (-110)
Under: 157.5 (-110)
How to Watch Tulane vs. SMU
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Tulane Will Cover The Spread/Win
Article Continues Below
Tulane is 116th in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings. They are 70th on the offensive side of things while sitting 205th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Tulane sits ninth in the nation in points per game this year. They are 23rd in effective field goal percentage as well. Kevin Cross leads the way shooting. He is shooting 54 percent from the field this year while scoring 17.5 points per game this year. Cross also is moving the ball well this year. He is averaging 4.5 assists per game this year. Meanwhile, Tulane has five players averaging over 12.0 points per game, with four of them shooting over 49 percent from the field.
Jaylen Forbes is second on the team in scoring with 15.1 points per game, while Dion James is scoring 13.8 points per game, and also shooting 49.5 percent from the floor. Meanwhile, Kolby King and Collin Holloway are both just under 13 points per game, while King is shooting 49.7 percent and Holloway is shooting 51.9 percent.
Tulane is not a solid rebounding team, sitting 283rd in rebounds per game this year. Kevin Cross is the leader here this year. He comes in with 7.7 rebounds per game on the season but has struggled on the offensive glass. Cross has less than one offensive rebound per game. Meanwhile, Sion James, Kolby King, and Collin Holloway are all between four and five rebounds per game this year.
Tulane has struggled on defense. They are 335th in points allowed per game this year while sitting 205th in opponent effective field goal percentage. Still, thye do create turnovers. King, James, Cross, and Jaylen Forbes all have 1.5 or more steals per game this year.
Why SMU Will Cover The Spread/Win
SMU is ranked 43rd in KenPoms adjusted efficiency rankings. They sit 75th in adjusted offensive efficiency while sitting 25th in adjusted defensive efficiency. SMU is 115th in the nation in points per game but sits 96th in effective field goal percentage. The offensive is led by Zhuric Phelps. He comes into the game with 14.6 points per game this year but is shooting just 40 percent from the field. Chuck Harris is second on the team in points with 13.2 points per game but sits first on the team in assists with 3.6 per game this year.
SMU is 35th in the nation in rebounding, while sitting 16th in the nation in offensive rebounding rate this year. Samuell Williamson leads the way. He comes in with 7.2 rebounds per game while scoring nine points per game. Tyreek Smith is second on the team with 6.0 rebounds per game, with two of those per game coming on the offensive glass.
SMU is ninth in the nation in points per game against this year. They are also 21st in blocks per game, and 39th in steals per game this year. Zhuric Phelps leads the way in steals with two a game, while three other players have over one steal per game. Meanwhile, Tyreek Smith has 1.5 blocks per game this year.
Final Tulane-SMU Prediction & Pick
The big difference in the game is the rebounding game. Tulane is not a great rebounding team, and not great in defensive rebounding. Further, SMU is a solid offensive-rebounding team. The Tulane offense is solid, but the SMU defense is great. Meanwhile, the Tulane defense is struggling. Still, Tulane as an underdog has done a solid job covering when an underdog. Since the start of the year as a favorite, Tulane is 0-4 against the spread. As an underdog, they are 4-0 against the spread.
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Final Tulane-SMU Prediction & Pick: Tulane +9.5 (-102)
