Washington State Cougars vs SMU Mustangs Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 03/20/2022

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Saturday, Mar 19, 2022
Game Time: 3:00 pm ET, Sunday, March 20, 2022
Venue:  Moody Coliseum, Dallas, TX 
Where to Watch:  ESPN+

 

Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  WSU +3, SMU -3; Over/Under:  140.5 points
Bet365:  Point Spread:  WSU +3, SMU -3; Over/Under:  140.5 points
BetMGM:  Point Spread:  WSU +3, SMU -3; Over/Under:  140.5 points
 

Season Record

Washington State Cougars:  20-14 (6th place, Pac-12)
SMU Mustangs:  24-8 (2nd place, AAC)
 
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Washington State Cougars vs SMU Mustangs Preview and Analysis

 
Recent Form
Washington State Cougars:  4-1 last 5
SMU Mustangs:  4-1 last 5
 
 
 

Washington State Cougars Analysis

WSU is coming into this game with a 20-14 record overall and they are 6-5 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They have won 5 of their last 6 games and are coming into this one off of a win in their last game. Their last loss was against the UCLA Bruins while their 5 wins in that span came against the Oregon State Beavers twice, the Oregon Ducks, the California Golden Bears, and the Santa Clara Broncos in their last game. Tyrell Roberts led the team in points in that game with 23 while Efe Abogidi was next on the team with 13 points. Michael Flowers led the team in assists in that game with 5 while Dishon Jackson off the bench led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 34.4% from the field, 34.5% from 3-point range, and 69.2% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 71.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 64.9 PPG against them. WSU has an ATS record of 14-20 this season and their O/U record is 13-19-2.
 
 

SMU Mustangs Analysis

SMU is coming into this game with a 24-8 record overall and they are 17-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They have won 4 of their last 5 games and are coming into this one off of a win in their last game. Their last loss was against the Memphis Tigers while their 4 wins in that span came against the Cincinnati Bearcats, the Tulane Green Wave, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, and the Nicholls State Colonels in their last game. Marcus Weathers and Michael Weathers led the team in points in that game with 16 while Kendric Davis was next on the team with 10 points. Emmanuel Bandoumel and Davis both led the team in assists in that game with 4 each while Michael Weathers led the team in rebounds with 12. They were 39.7% from the field, 17.4% from 3-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 74.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 66.9 PPG against them. SMU has an ATS record of 15-17 this season and their O/U record is 15-17.
 

 

Washington State vs SMU Prediction

WSU is coming into this game as a 3 point underdog with the current betting odds according to Draftkings Sportsbook. WSU has been playing very well in their recent games and they have won 6 of their last 7 games, winning 3 straight to end the season. Their only loss in that span came against a team in the NCAA tourney, UCLA, and they are also ranked in the top 25 this season as well. They have been playing very well though and their last 3 wins were all by double digits as well. They are going up against an SMU team that has also been playing well recently with 4 wins in their last 5 games. Their only loss was against Memphis but they also finished their season off with some closer wins against weaker opponents. SMU is undefeated at home this season with a 17-0 record but that is just more incentive for WSU to try and win this game to be the only team that beat them when they were at home. WSU has been playing very well recently and they have not been awful on the road this season either as they are 6-5 on the road. WSU also played a much tougher conference with more teams that made the NCAA tourney and they also had a lot of ranked teams in the top 25 as well, some of the best in the nation. WSU has a very good chance of upsetting in this game and they will cover the spread here.
 
Washington State SMU Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Sunday, March 20, 2022 (3:00 pm ET start time) is WSU 76 SMU 73.
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NCAAB Betting Trends

 
Washington State Cougars: 11-3 ATS after scoring 65 points or less 2 straight games. 109-69 UNDER after a combined score of 125 points or less. 153-100 UNDER after 1 or more consecutive unders.
SMU Mustangs: 27-48 ATS in all tournament games. 10-5 UNDER when the total is 140 to 149.5. 20-14 UNDER after 1 or more consecutive unders.
 

Key Injuries

 
Washington State Cougars:  None.
SMU Mustangs:  None.
 

Notable Quotes

 
“Once the game started and I hit my first three I was like oh yeah, time to turn it on. After I hit that first one I said alright I’m gonna keep shooting. If they go in, they go in, if they don’t find something better.” - Tyrell Roberts after their win against Santa Clara in round 1 of the NIT.
 
 
“I’m old enough to know many times, along the way, life is not fair. I feel awful for our players and I 100 percent feel like they deserve to be in the tournament.” - Tim Jankovich on his team not making the NCAA tourney this season.
 
 

Starting Lineups

 
Washington State Cougars
E. Abogidi 
M. Flowers 
M. Gueye 
T. Roberts 
N. Williams
 
SMU Mustangs
E. Bandoumel 
K. Davis 
Zach Nutall 
M. Weathers
M. Weathers
 

Statistical Leaders

 
Washington State Cougars
PPG: M. Flowers (14.2)
APG: M. Flowers (3.4)
Reb/G: E. Abogidi (5.6)
 
SMU Mustangs
PPG: K. Davis (19.5)
APG: K. Davis (4.6)
Reb/G: M. Weathers (7.4) 
 
Coaches:
Washington State Cougars: Kyle Smith (3rd season) 
SMU Mustangs: Tim Jankovich (7th season)


Amedeus Mastrangelo

About the Author:

Amedeus Mastrangelo has been heavily wagering on all sports for years and plays just about everything, including sides, totals, favorites, underdogs, against the spread, alternative spreads, first half, second half, player props, and futures. The bottom line is, if Mastrangelo can see an edge in any way shape or form, then he's going to take advantage.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

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