It’s the final week of the regular season in the NCAA, and there are still a few things to be decided before March Madness gets under way. There are teams on the bubble who will squeeze into the tournament in the final week, and regular season conference champions will be crowned by the time all is said and done. One of the tightest conference races can be found in the American, where just 1 game separates 3 teams heading into the final set of games. The SMU Mustangs have a slight edge at the top, but they know that a single mistake this week could cost them the conference, not to mention a place in the top 25 heading into the big dance. They will try to take one more step towards securing both of those when they welcome in the Connecticut Huskies in Thursday night for a NCAA basketball odds match up.
How to Bet the Connecticut Vs SMU NCAAB Odds, TV & Game Info:
When: Thursday, March 3, 9 PM EST
Where: Moody Coliseum, Dallas, Texas
TV: ESPN
Radio: KAAM Radio 770
Live Stream: WatchESPN
NCAA Odds: TBA
Why bet on the Connecticut Huskies
Last week was a bit of a strange one for the Connecticut Huskies (20-9, 10-6). They ended it with a loss versus Houston, but they also managed to pick up their 20th win of the season earlier in the week. The Huskies still have to be considered one of the teams on the bubble right now, and that means that they are going to have to pick up at least one win this week. Going on the road to get things rolling will be tough, but it should be noted that they are 5-3 away from home in conference play this season. There will also be an element of confidence in play for the Huskies heading into this one, as they took out the Mustangs 68-62 in their earlier meeting this season. Connecticut are averaging 73.2 PPG, and are giving up 68.1 PPG.
Why bet on the SMU Mustangs
The Mustangs (24-4, 12-4) are trying to head into the Tournament with momentum on their side, and they are building it up nicely with a modest 3-game winning streak heading into this week. SMU have only dropped one game at home all season long, and you have to know that the building is going to be rocking on Thursday night, as a Red Out for Senior Night is what is in the cards. These types of atmospheres tend to get the home team a little fired up, and you know that the Mustangs are going to want to ride that wave of emotion so that they can jump on the Huskies from the off. SMU are averaging 78.0 PPG, and are giving up 63.9 PPG.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
This should be a game that goes all the way down to the wire, and it could well be a buzzer beater that gets the job done. I like SMU to come away with the win and the regular season series split.
Connecticut Huskies 67 SMU Mustangs 68
