Tune in to ESPNU for this Sunday afternoon clash of American Athletic Conference teams. The USF Bulls (9-12) will head to Dallas, TX to take on the SMU Mustangs (7-14). Check out our college basketball odds series for our USF-SMU prediction and pick.
The USF Bulls are sitting towards the bottom third of teams in the American Athletic Conference at 9-12. They haven't faired well against their regional competition, only going 2-6. With the Houston Cougars establishing their firm grasp on the AAC conference, the USF Bulls will look to win games in which pride and experience are the main focuses. In fact, the Bulls actually put up a good game against No. 1 Houston, only losing by six points. After two wins in their last five, they'll look to extend their win total against the Mustangs.
The SMU Mustangs are in a worse spot than the Bulls sitting second-to-last in the standings, one spot behind the USF Bulls. The Mustangs have also had their woes attempting to notch consecutive wins. They do a much better job stringing along losses and going on rather lengthy losing streaks. They're 3-7 in their last ten games and with March approaching, the SMU Mustangs may be looking forward to next season while they try and close their season out strong. They'll host USF here in front of their home fans.
Here are the USF-SMU college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: USF-SMU Odds
USF: +3.5 (-120)
SMU: -3.5 (-102)
Over: 145.5 (-104)
Under: 145.5 (-118)
How To Watch USF vs. SMU
TV: ESPNU
Stream: fuboTV, ESPN App
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why USF Could Cover The Spread
Aside from a five game win streak early in the season, there haven't been many positives for the Bulls this year. They've underperformed on the offensive end and have not been able to find answers from their defense. They've been allowing 80 points to opponents in this recent stretch and while their scoring has improved as the season has gone on, they fail to close out in the final minutes of games when it matters most.
The bright spot for the Bulls has been their surprising ability to cover the spread despite losing the majority of their games. They're 13-8 against the spread overall and have played better as the road team rather than home side. Their senior guard Tyler Harris has been the spark lifting them in their wins; he had a solid performance last game and will look to build on his momentum in this one. As the away team, USF is 6-0 ATS.
Why SMU Could Cover The Spread
The Mustangs have been on a tough stretch of late and are hoping to wrap this season up strong, starting with a win against USF. They've had a hard time scoring the basketball in bunches which makes it hard for them to mount any sort of consistent offense. The Mustangs are a team that plays to their competition, often staying in games against favorites and keeping games close against underdogs. Aside from Memphis, their last three games were decided by a total seven points (1W-2L). SMU will look improve their scoring chances in this one.
SMU isn't good against the spread being at home won't make much difference. They're only 3-7 ATS in home games and 1-5 in away bouts. They'll look to improve their performances ATS as they host the Bulls.
Final USF-SMU Prediction & Pick
Neither of these teams are very good. At this point, they're basically playing to avoid last place. The USF Bulls play better basketball than SMU and have had better luck against the same opponents. I like the USF Bulls to cover here.
Final USF-SMU Prediction & Pick: USF Bulls -3.5 (-120)
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