The Connecticut Huskies’ tough season continued last time out, when they blew a big lead and lost a squeaker to Georgetown. A national champion just a couple years ago, UConn seems destined to miss the postseason and may be reduced to spoiler down the stretch. They will hope to pull off the upset of the Southern Methodist Mustangs in a nationally televised showdown.
SMU has fared considerably better and is zeroing in on a March Madness berth. A home win here is integral to remain on the right path as the Mustangs sit near the top of the American Conference standings.
At 7 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Thursday, January 19, 2017, at Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Thursday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
Connecticut is 7-10 straight up and 5-9 against the spread. The Huskies have played six road games on the season and have only covered twice. UConn has been the underdog in eight games this season and has covered three times.
Southern Methodist is an impressive 15-4 straight up and 9-4-1 against the spread. The Mustangs have played six home games and those who have backed them have cashed in, as SMU has covered in five of those. SMU is 8-3-1 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
Matchup to Watch
SMU has one of the stingiest defenses in the country while Connecticut struggles to score, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Huskies held in check in this one. The Mustangs are only allowing 59.7 points per game, which is a really impressive mark.
Connecticut does a pretty nice job defensively as well but will go through stretches where it fails to score. The Huskies only average 65.8 points per contest and will need to find some players to step up if an upset is in the works,
Jalen Adams is UConn’s leading scorer, averaging 15.6 points per contest. Rodney Purvis adds 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest. The Huskies took a big scoring hit when Terry Larrier was lost for the season after just four games with a torn ACL.
If SMU can keep Adams and Purvis under wraps, Connecticut will have trouble remaining competitive.
Player to Watch
Semi Ojeleye - SMU has gotten a huge boost from its junior small forward. Ojeleye was a bit player for Duke in his first two seasons but has taken on a much bigger role for the Mustangs.
He is averaging 17.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while playing 32.7 minutes per game, compared to only 10 for the Blue Devils. Ojeleye is shooting 48 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from three-point range.
He had 21 points last time out in a win over Tulane. Southern Methodist almost upset No. 22 Cincinnati two games ago, but Ojeleye didn’t play very well and may have been the difference between a win and a loss. He will aim for a big performance against Connecticut.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
UConn has been competitive at times this year but overall has not had nearly the season expected. The Huskies are still under .500 this late in the season so they will likely need to win the conference in order to get an NCAA men’s basketball tournament berth.
That’s a longshot, and instead it is surprising Southern Methodist which is the team angling for March Madness. A win at home over the Huskies will be crucial for SMU, and it should happen. UConn is not the same team it has been in past years and won’t be able to score enough to win this one.
It should be close, though, so keep an eye on the spread as the Huskies may be able to come away with the cover.
College Basketball Odds: Southern Methodist 71, Connecticut 64
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
