Houston at SMU odds, picks and prediction
The Houston Cougars (7-1 overall, 2-1 AAC) pay a visit to Moody Coliseum in Dallas where they'll face the SMU Mustangs (6-0, 2-0) Sunday night. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Houston-SMU college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Houston is No. 5 in the Men's Basketball Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Houston at SMU:Betting odds, spread andlines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports' betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:05 p.m. ET.
- Money line : Houston -160 (bet $160 to win $100) | SMU +135 (bet $100 to win $135)
- Against the spread/ATS : Houston -3.5 (-105) | SMU +3.5 (-115)
- Over/Under : 136.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Houston at SMU: Three things to know
- The Cougars have yielded just 55.9 points per game, an average that leads the AAC and ranks fourth in the nation. Ball-hawking UH defenders have held foes under 40% from the field in 5 of 8 games, and the Cougars have forced 16.9 turnovers per contest.
- Southern Methodist ranks first in the circuit and 29th in the nation in scoring. SMU is averaging 84.2 PPG. Junior G Kendric Davis leads a group of five Mustang players averaging double figures. Davis is averaging 19.2 PPG and 7.2 assists per contest. His assist figure is tops in the AAC.
- UH won its first seven games of the season. The Cougars then dropped a 65-64 decision at Tulsa Tuesday. Sunday's game at SMU marks Houston's third straight game on the road. UH is 1-1 against the spread away from home this season but over its last six games abroad the Cougars are 1-5 ATS.
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Houston at SMU: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Houston 72, SMU 68
Money line (ML)
Both teams are top-75 in offensive efficiency analytics, but Houston has a much better defense. Look for the Cougars to bounce back strong, leveraging turnovers and frequent trips to the charity stripe.
SMU looks to be a tad overrated. The Mustangs' last three games - wins against Dayton, East Carolina, and Temple - included a lot of clock time with margins significantly different than the end results.
TAKE HOUSTON -160 IN A PLAY WITH SOLID VALUE.
Against the spread (ATS)
BACK THE COUGARS -3.5 (-105) as an undercard play if you have them on the moneyline. The lean here is on an Over, but the 3.5-point cushion brings some risk in a game that marks the Cougars' third straight on the road and against a team that can shoot the 3-ball.
Over/Under (O/U)
Houston free throws and transition points, both sides being above average on the offensive boards and SMU converting on 39.6% of its 3-pointers at home all mix together for a total in the 140-range.
TAKE THE OVER 136.5 (-110).
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