SMU Mustangs take on the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns for what should be one of the best NCAA basketball games today. SMU Mustangs and Louisiana-Lafayette have the ability to be some of the better mid-major programs in the country, so expect a fun contest.
This game is going to be played in Texas as SMU is going to host this one.
If they can come out and continue doing what they’ve been able to do on both sides of the basketball, this is certainly a game that they can come away with.
Louisiana-Lafayette has played very well, but this is still a winnable game for the Mustangs. Let’s break it down with our Louisiana vs SMU prediction and find the edge in this game.
Last Game Records
Louisiana-Lafayette comes into this one at 5-0 on the season and has played incredible basketball to start the year. They just managed to take down Louisiana Tech behind a 94-88 win.
This is one of the sneaky NCAA basketball teams in the nation, so don’t expect them to come out and not play well in this game.
SMU will be coming into this one after an impressive showing on the defensive side of the basketball as they were able to come away with a 55-47 win against Evansville.
They only gave up 47 points in this game and continued to show one of the best defenses in America.
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns vs. SMU Mustangs Betting Analysis
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
Louisiana-Lafayette has played extremely well to start the season, and we have to give him credit for what they’ve been able to do. On top of that, they’ve also beaten some impressive programs.
The one thing that’s been working for Louisiana-Lafayette at the moment is what they do on the offensive side of the basketball.
They’re coming off a game where they scored 94 points behind Terence Lewis and his 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Five Guys in Double Figures
Louisiana-Lafayette had five guys in double figures. If they replicate that on Tuesday night, this will be an interesting game for SMU.
Their NCAAB schedule to start the season has been tough, but they’ve shown that they have the ability to beat anybody on any given night.
With wins over Harvard, East Tennessee State, and Louisiana Tech, SMU could be the best program that Louisiana-Lafayette will play. This is still a game that they can come away with.
I do think that this could be one of the tougher games for Louisiana-Lafayette because it’s going to be played in Texas, but either way, this team has shown us the ability they can win throughout the past few years anywhere, and that might not change if they come out and play their best basketball.
High-level Defensive Team
What they do at a high level is score the basketball, while SMU is typically a high-level defensive team. In games like this for Louisiana-Lafayette, their stars have to play well, and they have some of the best college basketball players in their conference.
There’s no reason to think that those guys won’t show up for them on Tuesday night.
SMU Mustangs
The SMU Mustangs basketball team is typically one of the above-average teams in college basketball, and they’re going to have to find a way to continue doing so in this game.
Although the start of the season hasn’t necessarily been what they wanted, it’s still early in the year, and their two losses were against two of the better mid-major programs in America as they lost to Dayton and New Mexico.
However, there’s still no denying that they need to be better and that the college basketball standings will reflect that if they don’t figure it out sooner rather than later.
Expectations for Zhuric Phelps
The one guy that I’m looking for in this game is going to be Zhuric Phelps. He comes into this game after an impressive 15-point performance for Southern Methodist University in their last game.
He needs to continue doing that if they want to win this game. He’s a sophomore guard and is currently averaging 17.8 points per game.
On top of that, he’s also shown the ability to be a facilitator when needed. He’s clearly the guy that SMU is going to go with, so expect him to get going in this one.
NCAAB Injury Report
The college basketball injury report for this game is currently clean. However, this is something that we want to continue checking within our Louisiana vs SMU prediction because we want to make sure that these guys are healthy coming into this game.
Although both teams are healthy, there is a chance that the injury report could get changed if somebody does get injured during the shoot-around.
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns vs. SMU Mustangs Betting Preview
The NCAAB odds coming into this game are a bit interesting. Southern Methodist comes in as a 3-point favorite with a moneyline of -165.
Considering that this game will be played at their home arena, it makes sense. Louisiana is going to be coming in at +3 for -110 odds and a money line of +140. The over-under is currently slotted at 145.
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns vs. SMU Mustangs Betting Prediction
We’re finally here with our Louisiana vs SMU prediction, and the best bet in this game is going to be taking Louisiana-Lafayette at +3.
Although I have my worries because this game will be played at SMU, I feel safe here taking the points with Louisiana.
I also don’t think it’s a bad idea to take the money line for Louisiana for better odds. However, considering that we can get – 110 odds still at +3, I’d rather be safe and take them with the points.
Who to Bet On?
If this team comes out and continues doing what they’ve done on the offensive side of basketball, this is the perfect opportunity for them to continue playing well.
They’ve continuously shown us that they can score the basketball at one of the highest levels in college basketball at the moment and should continue doing that.
If they can break down SMU’s defense, this is a game that they should be able to come away with.
NCAAB Pick: Louisiana-Lafayette +3 (-110)
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