The Memphis Tigers will try to continue their strong finish to the regular season when they face the SMU Mustangs on Thursday night. Memphis has won five of its last six games, beating Cincinnati by three points on Sunday to clinch second place in the American Athletic Conference standings. SMU has lost three of its last four games, falling to South Florida in a 71-67 final last Saturday.
Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET. The Tigers are favored by 6.5 points in the latest SMU vs. Memphis odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 151.5. Before entering any Memphis vs. SMU picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 17 of the season 76-46 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,600 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on SMU vs. Memphis. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for Memphis vs. SMU:
- SMU vs. Memphis spread: Memphis -6.5
- SMU vs. Memphis over/under: 152 points
- SMU vs. Memphis money line: SMU +228, Memphis -285
- SMU vs. Memphis picks: See picks here
Why SMU can cover
SMU has lost four of its last six games, but it has been more competitive than it was early in conference play. The Mustangs lost to Wichita State in double overtime while staying within five points against East Carolina and South Florida. They also beat Temple and East Carolina at home, along with covering the 16-point spread in a loss to top-ranked Houston two weeks ago.
The Mustangs still have a chance to move up a spot in the AAC standings before the conference tournament begins, while Memphis is locked into the No. 2 seed. Sophomore guard Zhuric Phelps leads SMU with 17.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. The Mustangs have gone unbeaten against the spread in their last five games, and they are 7-1 in their last eight home games against Memphis.
Why Memphis can cover
Memphis is looking like the only challenger to Houston heading into the AAC Tournament, as it stayed within eight points on the road against the Cougars in late February. The Tigers have won their other five games since early February, beating Wichita State and Cincinnati last week to secure the No. 2 seed in the tournament. They raced out to a 41-30 halftime lead against Cincinnati on Sunday before holding on down the stretch.
The Tigers took an 18-point lead at halftime in the first meeting with SMU, eventually winning by 15 points and coming one point shy of the century mark. Senior guard Kendric Davis, who spent three seasons with the Mustangs, scored 25 points, dished out 11 assists and grabbed five rebounds in that 99-84 final on Jan. 26. The Tigers are 5-1 in their last six games against SMU, covering the spread in four of those games.
How to make SMU vs. Memphis picks
The model has simulated Memphis vs. SMU 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins SMU vs. Memphis? And which side of the spread is hitting over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 76-46 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.
