FAU Owls vs SMU Mustangs Prediction: February 22 Game Info, Odds, Trends, Stats

The Florida Atlantic Owls and SMU Mustangs are duelling on Thursday night, and the winner of this contest will be tied with Charlotte for second place in the American Athletic Conference table. With only a few games left to play before we arrive at the AAC tourney, each of these programs has a chance to earn the top seed, and the outcome of this game will have a direct impact on how it all plays out.

-6.5 Points is the FAU Handicap, and Bet365 shows a 153.5 on the Match Total.

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In this Article:

• FAU Owls vs SMU Mustangs Pick and Prediction
• FAU Owls vs SMU Mustangs Game Info
• FAU Owls vs SMU Mustangs Game Info & Odds
• FAU Owls vs SMU Mustangs Trends
• FAU Owls Schedule and Form
• SMU Mustangs Schedule & Form
• FAU Owls vs SMU Mustangs Where to Watch
• Safer Gambling

Odds are available as of February 22. Odds may now differ.

Our FAU vs SMU prediction is for the Mustangs to cover the +6.5 Handicap

FAU OWLS VS SMU MUSTANGS PICKS AND PREDICTION

First, let me start with my apology for Charlotte laying an egg last night. I was shocked to see the 49ers play so poorly, considering they are alone in second place in this American Athletic Conference race for tournament seeds. The winner of this game will draw tied with Charlotte at 11 – 3 for second spot in the AAC table, although South Florida sure looks like the team headed for the 1-seed with a 12 – 1 conference record.

The best thing about landing the 2-seed in the conference tourney is that you won’t have to play the 1-seed until the title game.

Keep in mind, FAU isn’t the defending champs of the AAC, as they won the Conference USA title en route to last year’s NCAA Final Four appearance. For a team playing an entirely different schedule this season, the Owls are arguably the best team in the AAC, and last year’s experience sure adds to that. South Florida may have their say in all of that, but FAU only lost one player from last year’s team, so everyone is back to try and make another run at a Final Four appearance.

FAU is the only team in this conference with 20 wins overall, but they are coming off a loss to South Florida as 6-point favourites. The Bulls dropped 90 points on FAU, and now the Owls have to pick up the pieces and try to take on another tough program that is just as hungry as they are.

SMU is riding a 6-game win streak coming into Boca Raton, and it is tough to not expect them to have some confidence after bashing Memphis this past Sunday, 106 – 79. You saw what Memphis just did to Charlotte last night, ugh, so that is a nice bit of momentum to carry into this game.

SMU Head Coach Rob Lanier goes 10-deep with his roster, and Zhuric Phelps is worth the price of admission for the Mustangs. Ironically, Phelps averaged 17.3 PPG last year for SMU, but he is producing a better overall season this year despite the 14.7 PPG. It helps that he has upperclassmen all around him to gain experience from. Chuck Harris is among those Seniors on the Mustang roster.

Harris is averaging 13.7 PPG in his final season with SMU, and the Butler transfer can find his way to double-digits like clockwork. I expect him to have a big impact on the outcome of this game, and I expect SMU to give FAU all they can handle tonight.

84 – 81 is my prediction for this game, so enjoy the high-scoring affair and expect a tight game with second place on the line in the conference.

• Selection: SMU Mustangs +6.5 Handicap
• Best Odds: 1.91
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 4/10

FAU OWLS VS SMU MUSTANGS GAME INFO

• Friday, February 23rd
• Time: 00:05 UK Time
• Venue: Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena, Boca Raton, FL

FAU OWLS VS SMU MUSTANGS BETTING LINES

Odds are available as of February 22. Odds may now differ.

FAU OWLS VS SMU MUSTANGS TRENDS

• SMU has hit the 1H Moneyline in 21 of their last 29 games.
• SMU has hit the Team Total Over in 9 of their last 14 away games.
• Florida Atlantic has only hit the Game Total Under in 18 of their last 38 games.
• The Owls are 0 – 4 ATS in their last 4 Thursday games.
• The Total Over is 5 – 0 in the Mustangs’ last 5 road games.

FAU OWLS SCHEDULE AND FORM

• Feb 25th AT Memphis Tigers
• Mar 2nd Home vs Tulane Green Wave
• Mar 6th AT North Texas Mean Green
• Mar 9th Home vs Memphis
• End Regular Season

The Owls are 9 – 2 over their last 11 games, although they are only 2 – 2 in the last 4 games and coming off a loss to first-place South Florida.

This is the first meeting between these teams as AAC opponents, although they have met twice before in 1997 and 1998. SMU is 2 – 0 from those two meetings.

The FAU offense is averaging 83.4 PPG this season, and that is good enough to rank 18th in the country in scoring.

SMU MUSTANGS SCHEDULE AND FORM

• Feb 25th AT South Florida Bulls
• Mar 2rd Home vs UTSA Roadrunners
• Mar 6th Home vs East Carolina Pirates
• Mar 10th At UAB Blazers
• End Regular Season

SMU is riding a 6-game win streak, and they have also won 9 of their last 11 games.

Rebounding wins basketball games, and SMU does it as well as any program in the country. Ranked 17th, the Mustangs are a terror on the offensive glass, and that is one this that has hampered FAU since joining the AAC this year.

The Mustangs are averaging 77.8 PPG this year, and that ranks them 78th in the country in scoring. SMU has limited their opponents to an average of 65.7 PPG, and that places them 33rd in the rankings.

FAU OWLS VS SMU MUSTANGS WHERE TO WATCH

This game can be seen on ESPN 2 at 7 PM EST (US).

SAFER GAMBLING

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