The No. 2 Houston Cougars (23-2, 11-1 American) visit the SMU Mustangs (9-17, 4-9) on Thursday. Tip from Moody Coliseum is set for 7 p.m. (ESPN2). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Houston vs. SMU odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Houston destroyed Tulsa 80-42 on Wednesday, covering as 28-point home favorites. It has now won 5 in a row and 9 of its last 10. The Cougars are 6-4 in their last 10 games against the spread (ATS) to improve to 16-9 ATS this season.
SMU fell to 91-89 in overtime on Sunday, covering as 6.5-point road underdogs. It has covered the spread in back-to-back games, but SMU is just 3-6-1 ATS in its previous 10 games. On this season, the Mustangs are 9-16-1 ATS.
In their first matchup this season in early January, Houston throttled SMU 87-53 covering as 20-point home favorites.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Can you survive? New pro and college basketball survivor pools are here at USA TODAY Sports! Free to play; terms and conditions apply. Join now!
Houston at SMU odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:14 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Houston -1400 (bet $1400 to win $100) | SMU +700 (bet $100 to win $700)
- Against the spread (ATS): Houston -15.5 (-110) | SMU +15.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 137.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Catch the excitement and bet with Tipico
Double Down, Ohio! Deposit $200, Get $250. Bet now!
In Colorado and New Jersey, claim your 100% Deposit Match up to $250 now. Bet now! 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions.
Houston at SMU picks and predictions
Prediction
Houston 79, SMU 62
Moneyline
PASS.
At 14 times the potential return, the moneyline is unplayable in this matchup.
Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+
Against the spread
LEAN HOUSTON -15.5 (-110).
While 15.5 points seems like a lot, the Cougars have been playing outstanding basketball recently. They are undefeated on the road with an 8-0 record and have the best defense in college basketball, ranking 1st in both opponent points per game (55) and opponent FG percentage (35.2%).
The Cougars are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 road games, 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Thursday games, and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games against a team with a losing home record.
The favorite is also 4-1 ATS in the last 5 matchups between these 2 programs.
Over/Under
BET OVER 137.5 (-115).
The Over is 4-1 in Houston’s last 5 games and 8-2 in SMU’s last 10.
The Over is 4-0 in the Mustangs’ last 4 games following a ATS win, 4-0 in their last 4 Thursday games, 10-1 in their last 11 games following an outright loss, and 7-1 in their last 8 home games.
While Houston has a great defense, a late push from SMU rallying behind their home crowd is what is going to help the Over hit.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Want action on this basketball game or any other sports contest? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in OH, CO and NJ. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @seth_orlemann on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1667]
