The two best teams in the American Conference are ready to do battle. The Cincinnati Bearcats will travel to face off against the SMU Mustangs in a critical showdown for both teams.
Cincinnati sits one game ahead in the standings but if the Mustangs take care of business behind the home crowd the teams will be deadlocked with only a few games left. Both are nationally ranked and this is going to be an intriguing matchup.
SMU could be a slight favorite, but it certainly figures to be a competitive showdown.
This war on the floor will go down Sunday, February 12, 2017, at 4 p.m. ET at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cincinnati is 22-2 straight up and 12-9-1 against the spread. The Bearcats have played in seven road games this year and have gone 3-3-1 against the spread on those contests. Cincinnati is 11-8-1 against the spread as the favorite this year and has split a pair of games trying to cover as the underdog.
SMU is 20-4 straight up and 14-4-1 against the spread. The Mustangs have been fantastic at home, covering in eight of their nine attempts. SMU is 13-3-1 against the spread as the favorite and has similarly gone 1-1 against the spread as the underdog.
Key Stat
58.6. That’s how many points opposing offenses are averaging against SMU this season. The Mustangs’ tough defense has been a staple all year long and it will be tested again this week facing a Cincinnati offense that is averaging 77 points per game.
The Mustangs rank third in the nation for points against and enter this rematch on a six-game winning streak. The team defeated Temple 66-50 on Thursday and have held seven opponents to 50 points or less this season including Connecticut and Stanford.
Sterling Brown is a big part of SMU’s defense, averaging a team-high 1.6 steals per game and also pulling down 6.8 rebounds per game. It was Brown’s offense that stood out against Tulane last weekend, however, as the senior finished with a season-high 27 points.
Revenge Angle
Cincinnati got the better of SMU the first time these two teams met this season on January 12th, with the Bearcats winning 66-64 at home. SMU trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half of the matchup before igniting on a comeback mission that fell just short.
That game accounts for the Mustangs’ only loss since November and the team will be eager to get another shot at its American Athletic Conference foe. The Bearcats are undefeated against conference opponents this season and have developed a knack for winning close games.
In fact, four of Cincinnati's wins have been separated by two points or less including that 55-54 overtime victory against No. 19 Iowa State on December 1st. A win here for SMU would be a big boost for the team which sits at No. 25 in the nation, especially considering the Mustangs have not defeated a ranked opponent yet this season.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Both of these teams are well on their way to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament but would like to claim the conference title beforehand. Cincinnati could take control with a victory, but getting it on the road won’t be easy.
The Bearcats have been fantastic in close games this season, but that streak will end here. SMU is the choice to pull out a close one. The American conference title should go down to the wire as the Mustangs come away with this one and knot up the standings.
College Basketball Odds: SMU 63, Cincinnati 60
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