Miami Hurricanes vs SMU Mustangs Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our SMU vs Miami NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Coral Gables.

SMU vs Miami Prediction

Betting on today's Mustangs and Hurricanes game? Catch the action at Watsco Center in Coral Gables, FL, as the Hurricanes hosts this showdown at 2:00 ET on ESPNU. SMU is favored by -5.5 in this Atlantic Coast conference contest against Miami. The game's over/under currently sits at 157.5 points.

SMU vs. Miami Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: SMU Mustangs at Miami Hurricanes
Where: Coral Gables at Watsco Center
Date: Saturday, January 18th
Betting Odds SMU -5.5, SMU -210 | MIA +172 O/U 157.5

Mustangs Preview: Will the Mustangs Find a Way to Win in Coral Gables?

SMU improved to 13-4 on the season with a 54-52 road win over Virginia on Wednesday. The Mustangs were favored by six points but didn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total points (106) fell well below the O/U line of 134.5.

SMU led 27-25 at halftime and matched Virginia’s 27 points in the second half to secure the win.

Mustangs Offense Breakdown

SMU struggled offensively in their last game, managing just 54 points on 43.4% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 49.1%, with a particularly rough performance from beyond the arc, hitting only 5 of 21 attempts for 23.8%.

Free-throw shooting was also an issue, as they connected on just 3 of 7 attempts (42.9%). Boopie Miller and Chuck Harris each scored 12 points, with Harris shooting 2 of 9 from three. Blake Buchanan contributed 11 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, shooting 5 of 7 from the field.

Mustangs Team Defense

Despite SMU's defensive efforts, they couldn't stop their opponent from scoring 52 points. The Mustangs held them to 34% shooting overall, with 18 made field goals on 52 attempts.

From beyond the arc, SMU's defense was particularly effective, limiting their opponent to just 4 made threes on 26 attempts, a 15% shooting rate.

Hurricanes Preview: Can the Hurricanes Hold Strong at Home?

Miami’s season continued to spiral with an 89-54 loss to Duke on Tuesday, dropping their record to 4-13. The Hurricanes were +23 point underdogs going into the game and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 143, just under the O/U line of 144.5.

Miami found themselves in a deep hole early, trailing 50-26 at halftime. They managed just 28 points in the second half while allowing 39, as their struggles on both ends of the court persisted.

Hurricanes Offense Breakdown

Miami struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 54 points while shooting 39% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.1%, and they hit only 30% of their three-point attempts, going 6-for-20 from deep. The Hurricanes managed just 5 offensive rebounds and connected on 2 free throws, shooting 100% from the line.

Kon Knueppel was a bright spot, hitting 6-of-8 threes and finishing with 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting overall. Lynn Kidd added 20 points, shooting 58.8%, while Khaman Maluach grabbed 15 rebounds and shot 85.7% from the field.

Hurricanes Team Defense

Despite Miami's defensive struggles, they gave up 89 points on 54% shooting from the field. Their opponents were efficient from both inside and outside, hitting 17 of 30 two-point attempts for 56% and 17 of 32 from beyond the arc, shooting 53%.

On the free-throw line, Miami's opponents shot 57%, making 4 of 7 attempts. Miami also allowed 12 offensive rebounds in the game.

Mustangs vs Hurricanes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Mustangs last five road games, the team averaged 74 points per game while allowing 70. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 3-2 straight-up.
When looking at their past ten home matchups, Miami has an ATS record of 2-8 while averaging 69 per game. The team went 0-10 overall in these games.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the underdog, the Hurricanes have a straight up record of 0-10. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-7.
In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Mustangs have a strong straight up record of 5-0. In addition, their ATS record was 3-2 in these scenarios.