SMU Mustangs vs Miami Hurricanes NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/18/25

Looking to win big? The Mustangs and Hurricanes face off at 2:00 ET on ESPNU. The Hurricanes are hosting the game at Watsco Center in Coral Gables, FL. SMU is favored by -5.5 in this Atlantic Coast conference showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 157.5 points.

SMU MUSTANGS VS MIAMI HURRICANES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Miami Hurricanes +5.5

This game will be played at Watsco Center at 2:00 ET on Saturday, January 18th.

WHY BET THE MIAMI HURRICANES:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Hurricanes.
• Not only will Miami pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +5.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 157.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.

Can SMU Live Up to the Hype on the Road?

SMU improved to 13-4 on the season with a 54-52 road win over Virginia on Wednesday. The Mustangs were -6 favorites going into the game but didn’t cover the spread.

SMU led 27-25 at halftime and matched Virginia’s 27 points in the 2nd half. The total points for the game were 106, well below the O/U line of 134.5.

SMU’s offense struggled in their last game, managing just 54 points with a 43.4% field goal percentage. Their effective field goal percentage was 49.1%, and they hit only 23.8% from beyond the arc, going 5 for 21 from three-point range.

Blake Buchanan was a bright spot, hitting 5 of 7 shots and grabbing 15 rebounds. Boopie Miller and Chuck Harris each scored 12 points, though both shot 5 for 14 from the field. Harris connected on just 2 of 9 three-point attempts.

SMU’s defense was on point, holding their opponent to just 52 points on 34% shooting from the field. They were particularly effective in defending the three-point line, where they limited the opposition to 4 made threes on 26 attempts, a 15% success rate.

Despite giving up 14 two-point field goals on 26 attempts, SMU kept their opponent off the free-throw line, where they shot 12/15. The Mustangs also controlled the boards, allowing just 5 offensive rebounds.

Will Miami Pull Through as the Underdog Home Team?

Miami’s season continued to be a struggle after an 89-54 loss to Duke on Tuesday. The Hurricanes are now 4-13 for the season. They went into the game as +23 underdogs and didn’t cover the spread.

Miami trailed 50-26 at halftime and scored 28 points in the 2nd half while allowing 39. The game’s total points were 143, just under the 144.5 O/U line.

Miami struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 54 points with a 39% shooting percentage from the field. They hit 30% of their threes, going 6-for-20, and finished with an effective field goal percentage of 44.1%. The Hurricanes only managed 5 offensive rebounds and 2 free-throw attempts, hitting both.

Kon Knueppel was a standout, hitting 6-of-8 threes and shooting 81.8% overall, finishing with 25 points in 26 minutes. Lynn Kidd added 20 points on 10-of-17 shooting, while Cooper Flagg contributed 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Despite Miami’s defensive struggles, they allowed 89 points on 54% shooting from the field. The Hurricanes couldn’t contain the opposing team’s three-point shooting, giving up 17 threes on 53% shooting.

Miami also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 7 times, where they converted 4 attempts. On the boards, the Hurricanes allowed 12 offensive rebounds.