Check out our free SMU vs TCU pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Fort Worth. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
SMU vs TCU Pick & Preview: Saturday, December 10th Betting Odds
Mustangs vs Horned Frogs Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: SMU Mustangs at TCU Horned Frogs
- Where: Fort Worth at Dickies Arena
- Date: Saturday, December 10th
- Betting Odds: SMU +11.5, SMU +501 | TCU -755 O/U 135.0
Mustangs Preview:
Heading into today’s matchup vs TCU, the SMU Mustangs will be taking the floor for the 10th time this season and have an overall record of 3-6. On the road, the Mustangs will be playing their 2nd game of the season, having gone 0-2. So far, the Mustangs have been the underdog 3 times, going 0-3 straight up. Heading into today’s contest, they are the +11.5 underdogs on the spread.
SMU’s leading scorer this season is Zhuric Phelps who is averaging 19.56 points per contest. So far, Phelps has accounted for 29.68% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 4.0 rebounds per game and 2.67 assists. Zach Nutall is the second leading scorer for the Mustangs, averaging 12.56 points per game. Between him and Nutall, they are accounting for 48.7% of the team’s scoring.
On offense, SMU comes into the game looking to control the pace of play, as they are just 446th in possessions per game. Even with their preference to slow the game down, the Mustangs’ are scoring at a rate similar to the NCAA average at 74.4 points per game. So far, 42.57% of their shots have come from beyond the arc, where they have connected at a rate of 36.3%.
Horned Frogs Preview:
Heading into today’s matchup vs SMU, the TCU Horned Frogs will be taking the floor for the 9th time this season and have an overall record of 7-1. This will be the team’s 9th straight game at home this year. The Horned Frogs’ are sitting with a betting line that is -11.5 points in their favor. For the season, TCU has been favored to win in 7 games, sitting with a mark of 6-1.
Important to the outcome of the game, is if Mike Miles Jr. will be able to suit up for the Horned Frogs’. Heading into play, Jr. leads the team at 18.2 points per game. So far, he has an effective field goal percentage of 54.0% while also adding 3.8 rebounds. Even if Mike Miles Jr. ends up playing, TCU will be counting on Micah Peavy to continue his solid play for the team. Currently, Peavy is the Horned Frogs’ second leading scorer at 10.0 points per game. So far, he has hit 37.0% of his field goal attempts.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for TCU this season, as they are currently ranked 298th in college basketball at 68.1 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that that have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Horned Frogs’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 30.4%, placing them 450th in the NCAA.
Free Spread Prediction: SMU Mustangs +11.5
When looking at the betting lines for this showdown between the TCU Horned Frogs and SMU Mustangs, our analysis likes the value of taking SMU to put up a fight as the 11.5 point underdogs. Pace of play should be a big factor in this matchup, as both sides prefer to grind the clock and make their opponents defend. With this game likely featuring a limited number of possessions, there will be less opportunity for TCU to pull away and cover the spread as -11.5 point favorites. Despite SMU sitting at just 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games as the underdog, for today’s game, we will be locking in the Mustangs at +11.5.
