SMU Betting Odds Preview

The Mustangs bounced back from a tough 1-3 straight-up start last year that included losses to Baylor, Texas A&M, and TCU from the Big 12 with a 5-3 SU run through its Conference USA schedule to finish 7-6 SU. They closed the season out with a stunning 43-10 rout of Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl as 13-point underdogs, which was easily their finest performance of the year.

Odds to Win AAC: 25/1 at Sportsbook
Regular Season Win Total: 5.5 at Sportsbook

June Jones will look to take his coaching record at SMU over .500 this season after leading the team to a 31-34 record in his first five seasons at the helm. This could be a challenge considering that this year’s non-conference schedule is almost as tough as last year's. The Mustangs’ running game will take a hit with the loss of Zach Line (1,278 yards) so look for Jones to shift the focus more towards the passing game behind Garrett Gilbert.

Last season he threw for 2,932 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding another 346 yards and eight scores on the ground. His leading receiver from last year Darius Johnson (64 receptions for 787 yards) is gone, but the good news is that Jeremy Johnson is back. The latter Johnson actually had three more catches (67) for a total of 679 yards. The Mustangs’ defense allowed an average of 25.7 points a game but that number was a bit inflated due to those early-season losses.

It was strong against the run, but there are several holes to fill up front. One the plus side, the secondary remains basically intact from last season, which should improve things against the pass. SMU was 8-5 against the spread in 2012 including a very profitable 6-1 ATS record at home. The total was evenly split at 6-6 but it did stay UNDER in three of its last four games.

AAC Championship Odds at Sportsbook as of August 8

Louisville 4/7
Cincinnati 4/1
Rutgers 4/1
UCF 15/2
SMU 25/1
Connecticut 33/1
South Florida 33/1
Houston 50/1
Memphis 66/1
Temple 75/1

Back to Top