SMU won the American Conference during the regular season and is looking to make a March Madness push. USC beat SMU during the regular season, so even though the Mustangs are the higher seed, this could be an interesting matchup.
The Trojans eked into the Big Dance but have the ability to make things interesting against SMU.
This war on the floor will go down Friday, March 17, 2017, at 3:10 p.m. ET at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The game will be televised live on truTV.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Friday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
SMU is 30-4 straight up and 22-6-1 against the spread. The Mustangs played in five neutral site games during the season, covering in three of them. SMU has gone 21-5-1 against the spread as the favorite this season and will be giving points once again in this one.
USC is 25-9 straight up and 17-16 against the spread. The Trojans have played in five neutral site games and have covered in two of them, including the victory over Providence. USC has been the underdog in 10 games this season and has covered in four of them.
Key Stat
16. That’s the number of consecutive wins SMU has reeled off heading into this matchup. The Mustangs didn’t do anything special in the non-conference season, losing to Michigan, USC and Boise State, but dominated in conference action.
The Mustangs went 17-1 in American Conference action and haven’t lost since Cincinnati beat them by two points in early January. SMU got its revenge on the Bearcats, beating them in the regular season rematch and then in the conference tournament title game.
SMU has the third stingiest defense in college basketball, giving up fewer than 60 points per game, and will aim to keep rolling in this matchup.
Last Meeting
These teams faced off early in non-conference play and USC came away with a 78-74 victory to improve to 5-0 on the year. Bennie Boatwright led the way with 17 points as the Trojans used a strong second-half push to pull away.
USC had seven different players score six points or more as that depth helped knock off the Mustangs. USC shot 41.5 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range, which usually aren’t great numbers but were pretty good against a solid SMU team.
The Mustangs were led by Semi Ojeleye, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds in the contest.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
USC may have been one of the final teams in the NCAA Tournament but it is no pushover. The Trojans proved that in the first matchup between these teams, and would love to pick up another victory against SMU.
The Mustangs play good defense while the Trojans like to get up and down, so it is an interesting clash of styles.
While Southern Methodist has been playing really well of late, it did its damage against some inferior foes at times. The Trojans are hot at the right time, and they could very well contribute to the madness of the tournament with an early-round upset.
Take USC to keep its NCAA Tournament dream alive by knocking off favored SMU in the first round. That could be a lucrative choice, as the Trojans should pay off nicely on the moneyline if they win this game.
If the scoring total gets too high, definitely go with the “under” in what SMU will attempt to make a slow-down affair.
College Basketball Odds: USC 68, SMU 66
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