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SMU vs. FAU Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Thursday, Feb. 22

Breaking down the odds, trends, key players, and best bet prediction for Thursday's college basketball action in the AAC between SMU and FAU.

By Iain MacMillan

Feb 11, 2024; Wichita, Kansas, USA; Florida Atlantic Owls guard Bryan Greenlee (4) drives around
Feb 11, 2024; Wichita, Kansas, USA; Florida Atlantic Owls guard Bryan Greenlee (4) drives around / William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
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Florida Atlantic has stumbled a bit of late, losing two of its last four games, causing the team to fall to third place in the AAC. Tonight, the Owls will take on the team they're tied in third with, the SMU Mustangs, who have won six-straight games heading into tonight.

The winner of tonight's game will be in sole possession of third place in the conference with enough time left in the season to take a run at USF, who holds on to the top spot with a 13-1 record in AAC play.

If you want to bet on tonight's pivotal showdown, be sure to take advantage of this great offer from FanDuel Sportsbook. If you click the link below to sign up for an account, you'll receive $150 in bonus bets if you win your first $5 wager!

SMU vs. FAU odds, spread, and total

SMU vs. FAU betting trends

  • SMU is 12-5-1 ATS in its last 18 games
  • The OVER is 9-2 in SMU's last 11 games
  • The OVER is 5-0 in SMU's last five road games
  • FAU is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games

SMU vs. FAU how to watch

  • Date: Thursday, Feb. 22
  • Game time: 7 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena
  • How to watch (TV): ESPN2
  • SMU record record: 19-7 (10-3 in AAC)
  • FAU record: 20-6 (10-3 in AAC)

SMU vs. FAU key players to watch

SMU

Zhuric Phelps: Not only is he the leading scorer for SMU, averaging 14.7 points per game, but he is also averaging 2.0 steals per game. If the Mustangs want to upset the Owls, forcing turnovers is going to be a big part of that and Phelps will play a key role in that happening.

FAU

Vladislav Goldin: FAU's center is the biggest difference maker on this team and the Owls are at their best when they feed him the ball early and often. He's shooting 64.7% from the field while averaging 14.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

SMU vs. FAU prediction and pick

Despite the OVER hitting a ton in SMU games this season, I still believe the Mustangs are built like an UNDER team and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a string of UNDERs cashing in their games, especially with the totals now creeping into the mid-150's.

SMU ranks 12th in the country in defensive efficiency and 18th in opponent floor%, allowing their opponents to record at least one point on just 44.3% of their possessions.

The Mustangs also generally play at a slow pace, ranking 199th in possessions per game.

I'm going to bet on this being a bit of a defensive battle tonight. Give me the UNDER.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!

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