SMU vs Wichita State prediction, odds, pick, how to watch

SMU faces Wichita State. Our college basketball odds series includes our SMU Wichita State prediction, odds, and pick.

college basketball odds series for our SMU Wichita State prediction and pick. Find how to watch SMU Wichita State.

The Wichita State Shockers are desperate for an AAC win. They haven't had one yet in the 2024 conference season. It's true that Wichita State has played the best teams in the American Athletic Conference. WSU has lost to Final Four contender Florida Atlantic, plus a very good Memphis team which is in the hunt for a top-four seed at the NCAA Tournament. Wichita State has lost to a much-improved South Florida team which is clearly on the rise under a new head coach. The Shockers have not had an easy road. Yet, an 0-6 conference record is still a brutal outcome for a team which surely expected to be better this season. Losing a recent home game to a less-than-great East Carolina squad certainly will not improve morale in and around the program. A win is needed to do that. When a team loses a bunch of games, one always has to wonder if each new loss makes the team more motivated or less motivated to play. We will find out a lot about Wichita State, its attitude, its disposition, and its ability to bounce back in this game against SMU.

Here are the SMU-Wichita State College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: SMU-Wichita State Odds

SMU Mustangs: -5.5 (-102)

Wichita State Shockers: +5.5 (-120)

Over: 146.5 (-110)

Under: 146.5 (-110)

How To Watch SMU vs Wichita State

Time: 3:00 pm ET / 12:00 pm PT

TV: ESPN2

Why SMU Could Cover the Spread

The Mustangs are playing a last-place team in their conference. There is only so much sugar-coating one can do when a team is 0-6 in its conference the way Wichita State is. The Shockers don't finish ballgames well. They struggle to score. Good teams can score against them. Wichita State scored 68 points or fewer in three of its last five losses. The Shockers gave up at least 87 points in the other two of their most recent five losses. Some teams find ways to win. Wichita State finds ways to lose. That's the number one reason Wichita State won't cover the spread, and why SMU will.

The other point to keep in mind here is that while WSU is 0-6 in the AAC, SMU is a solid 4-2. The Mustangs have won the games they are supposed to win, and this is another example of that type of game. SMU very nearly won at Memphis, one of the tougher teams in the AAC. The Ponies lost to the Tigers by only three points. Memphis blew out Wichita State. If SMU can play toe to toe with Memphis, it should be a lot better than Wichita State.

Why Wichita State Could Cover the Spread

The Shockers are due. They have continuously been frustrated in AAC play, but they have played good teams from FAU and Memphis. SMU is a much better and more manageable matchup for Wichita State. Having played FAU and Memphis will give Wichita State the ability to match SMU's effort and aggression at both ends of the floor. SMU doesn't have the “jump out of a building” talent FAU and Memphis own. That will help Wichita State cover the spread.

Final SMU-Wichita State Prediction & Pick

The inclination might be to lean to SMU, but Wichita State will be motivated to win its first conference game of the season. Stay away from this game.

Final SMU-Wichita State Prediction & Pick: SMU -5.5