Houston Cougars vs SMU Mustangs Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/16/2023

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Thursday, February 16, 2023

Venue:  Moody Coliseum, Dallas, TX

Where to Watch:  ESPN2

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Houston -15.5, SMU +15.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Houston -15.5, SMU +15.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Houston -15.5, SMU +15.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

Houston Cougars:  23-2 (11-1) (1st place, AAC)

SMU Mustangs:  9-17 (4-9) (8th place, AAC)

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Houston Cougars:  5-0  last 5

SMU Mustangs:  2-3  last 5

Houston is coming into this game with a 23-2 record overall and they are 8-0 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are also 11-1 in their conference games this season as well. They are entering this game on a 5 game winning streak with wins coming against the UCF Knights, the Cincinnati Bearcats, the Wichita State Shockers, the Temple Owls, and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in their last game. Marcus Sasser led the team in points in that game with 25 while Emanuel Sharp was next on the team with 13 points. Jamal Shead led the team in assists in that game with 12 while J'wan Roberts led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 46.3% from the field, 37.1% from 3-point range, and 83.3% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 75.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 55 PPG against them. Houston has an ATS record of 16-9 this season and their O/U record is 12-13.

SMU is coming into this game with a 9-17 record overall and they are 6-7 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are also 4-9 in their conference schedule this season as well. They are entering this game off of a loss against the Wichita State Shockers in their last game. Zhuric Phelps led the team in points in that game with 26 while Efe Odigie was next on the team with 21 points. Samuell Williamson, Zach Nutall, and Zhuric Phelps each led the team in assists in that game with 5 while Samuell Williamson led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 46.8% from the field, 30% from 3-point range, and 52.9% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 70.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 74.7 PPG against them. SMU has an ATS record of 9-15-2 this season and their O/U record is 17-9.

The current betting odds have Houston listed as a 15.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Houston enters this game as a ranked team but they are one of the best teams in the country too as they are ranked 2nd in the land. They have been very good this season with their 23-2 record overall and they only have 1 loss in the AAC as they are 11-1 in their conference games. They are even undefeated in their road games with an 8-0 road record and they have a lot of momentum on their side with 5 wins in a row now since losing that 1 conference game against Temple. SMU hasn't been having a good season at all this year, they are 9-17 overall and have been struggling in the AAC with a 4-9 conference record too. They are going to be on their home court here but even being at home hasn't helped much this season as they are only 6-7 in their home games. Houston is one of the best teams in the country this year and week after week they watch teams move in the rankings around them without taking over the 1st ranked spot themselves. They are on a mission this season to prove how good they really are and they are going to continue on their roll here with another big win by double digits. The best way to place a bet here is on Houston to cover the spread in this game.

Houston SMU Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Thursday, February 16, 2023 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Houston 93 SMU 66.

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Houston Cougars: 59-34 ATS in all games. 56-33 ATS as a favorite. 7-1 OVER as a road favorite of 12.5 or more points.

SMU Mustangs: 4-13 ATS off a loss against a conference rival. 9-19 ATS after 1 or more consecutive losses. 10-3 OVER after a combined score of 155 points or more.

Houston Cougars:  T. Arceneaux (G) Ques Thurs - Ankle. D. Bowser (C) Out indefinitely - Personal. R. Walker Jr. (G) out for season - Personal. M. Wilson (G) out for season - Redshirt.

SMU Mustangs:  None.

“We’ve only lost two games, we probably should have lost some more. We’re lucky to only have two losses. Teams don’t usually go 23-2, but again, losses never really bother me that much. Just like I don’t get overly carried away with wins. I do know the pulse of this team, and the thing this team really needs right now is rest.” - Kelvin Sampson after his team’s win against Tulsa in their last game.

"It will go without saying, really, really proud of these guys. Obviously we're in February, we've been in some close games and we've had our share of disappointments and without fail, after each disappointment these guys come in and we have some of our best practices attitude, the approach, that connectivity remains strong. It's gotten tested quite a bit. ... I'm really happy for the group tonight that we found a way to win against a really good team that the last game, they were playing for first place, so we're talking about one of the teams at the top of the league with really good players who did come to play and played well. We found a way to win a game and couldn't be more proud." - Rob Lanier after his team’s win against Temple in their last game.

T. Mark 

J. Roberts 

M. Sasser 

J. Shead 

J. Walker

Z. Nutall 

E. Odigie 

Z. Phelps 

J. Smith 

S. Williamson

PPG: M. Sasser (16.4)

APG: J. Shead (5.6)

Reb/G: J. Roberts (7)

PPG: Z. Phelps (17.4)

APG: Z. Phelps (2.9)

Reb/G: S. Williamson (7.4)

Coaches:

Houston Cougars: Kelvin Sampson (9th season)

SMU Mustangs: Rob Lanier (1st season)