The Louisville Cardinals take on the SMU Mustangs in Dallas, Texas, on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Louisville is favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -185. SMU, meanwhile, enters as a +3.5 underdog and is +155 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 167 total points.
Here’s my Louisville vs. SMU prediction and college basketball picks for Tuesday, February 17.
Louisville vs SMU Odds, Spread, Pick
| Louisville Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4 -110 | 166.5 -110o / -110u | -190 |
| SMU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4 -110 | 166.5 -110o / -110u | +158 |
My Pick: Louisville -3.5
My Louisville vs SMU best bet is on the Cardinals to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Louisville vs SMU NCAAB Betting Preview
Louisville Cardinals Betting Preview
Louisville comes into this matchup red hot, winning five straight games. It now sits at 19-6 overall and 8-4 in the ACC.
Since their 83-52 loss to Duke, the Cardinals have performed as the 12th-best team in the country with a top-25 offense and defense, according to Bart Torvik.
Mikel Brown Jr. has been lights-out in back-to-back games, averaging 37 points per game on 59%/67%/100% shooting splits to go along with four steals per game.
In the first matchup against the Mustangs, the Cardinals' big men were doing a good job facilitating out of the two-man game when SMU blitzed their guards. Ultimately, seven of Louisville's 20 assists came from its big men.
Defensively, Louisville has done a good job of making teams uncomfortable. In its last five games, only one team (Wake Forest) has scored over one point per possession (PPP).
What makes Louisville tough to score on is its guards' ability to defend one-on-one while also walling up around the rim.
In their win over Baylor, the Cardinals held the Bears to 10-for-17 shooting on layups while holding Cameron Carr to five points on 1-for-11 shooting and Tounde Yessoufou to 5-for-16 from the floor.
SMU Mustangs Betting Preview
SMU is coming off a disappointing loss at Syracuse, and it's now 17-8 overall and 6-6 in ACC play. But SMU is coming back home, where it's 14-2 overall, with the losses coming by a combined five points
The Mustangs have one of the most high-powered offenses in the country, led by their trio of guards in Boopie Miller, Jaron Pierre Jr. and B.J. Edwards.
The Mustangs have been lighting up opposing defenses during conference play, shooting 41.5% from deep, which ranks second in the country.
This year, SMU has three players shooting 40% or better from 3 on the year: Miller, Corey Washington and Jermaine O'Neal Jr.
The Mustangs are deadly in transition, where they're averaging 1.227 PPP. Pierre showcased his talents with a fastbreak windmill dunk during the win against Notre Dame, and on the season, he averages 1.327 PPP in transition.
Louisville vs SMU College Basketball Pick
Though SMU is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, Louisville has played at an elite level during its five-game winning streak.
The Cardinals have held teams to 27.3% from deep, including holding SMU to 8-for-25 from deep on Jan. 31.
Louisville's depth caused issues for SMU in the first matchup, accounting for 47 of its 88 points.
I expect Khani Rooths and Aly Khalifa to have another strong performance against SMU's bigs by pulling them away from the basket, leading to back-door cuts by Louisville's guards.
My Pick: Louisville -3.5
