TCU vs. SMU preview, odds, prediction, TV channel, live stream
By John Buhler
The SMU Mustangs will host the No. 16 TCU Horned Frogs on Friday night. Here is the game preview, betting odds, TV channel, live stream and score prediction.
Week 2 of the 2018 college football season is under way. Starting the second week’s slate off right will be a pair of former Southwest Conference rivals, as the SMU Mustangs (0-1) will host a metropolitan foe in the No. 16 TCU Horned Frogs (1-0).
Kickoff from Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas will be at 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT. ESPN 2 will have the national telecast in primetime. You can find the available live stream for this football game on WatchESPN.
TCU enters play at 1-0 on the year. The Horned Frogs are the No. 16 team in the nation entering Week 2. They are fresh off a dominating 55-7 victory over the Southern Jaguars from Week 1 just up the road at home in Fort Worth. TCU looks to be a contender once again in the Big 12 under iconic head coach Gary Patterson.
SMU enters play at 0-1 on the year. The Mustangs fell in their Week 1 matchup versus the North Texas Mean Green 46-23 up in Denton. SMU begins its first full season with Sonny Dykes as its head coach. The former California Golden Bears head coach replaces Chad Morris, who now calls the shots in Fayetteville for the SEC’s Arkansas Razorbacks.
TV Schedule
Date: Friday, Sep. 7
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT
Location: Dallas, Texas
Venue: Gerald J. Ford Stadium
TV Info: ESPN 2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
According to OddsShark, the visiting Horned Frogs will be laying a whopping 22 points to the hometown Mustangs. The associated moneylines are TCU -2,000 and SMU +1,400. This game’s over/under comes in at a combined 58.5 points.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: TCU -22
Moneylines: TCU -2,000, SMU +1,400
Over/Under: 58.5
TCU was able to put away Southern effortlessly last week thanks a great first start on the year for quarterback Shawn Robinson. He completed an impressive 70.8 percent of his passes for 182 yards, three interceptions and no touchdowns. Robinson also ran the ball twice for 45 yards and two touchdowns.
For SMU, it wasn’t as good of an effort for quarterback Ben Hicks as Robinson had last week for TCU. Though Hicks averaged a strong 10.5 yards per attempt for 252 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, he only completed 50 percent of his passes and that one pick went for six the other way. No, it did not help that Mustangs defense gave up 461 passing yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort.
Overall, TCU crushed its FCS opponent, while SMU struggled to contain a fellow Group of 5 offense in defeat. Though the contest is technically a home game for the Mustangs, it’s not like the heavily favored Horned Frogs have to travel all that far from Fort Worth. No, this won’t be their first rodeo with SMU given their former rivalry back in the day in the old Southwest Conference.
Next: The 15 blue bloods of college football
Expect TCU to win and cover most comfortably in this ball game. SMU might have been a decent program under Morris, but has yet to win a game with Dykes calling the shots. A win for the Mustangs should be on the horizon here soon, but not on Friday night at home versus a great Big 12 team in the form of TCU.
Prediction: TCU 42, SMU 18