Friday’s college football slate features two non-conference matchups between Power 4 teams, including the matchup that will take the spotlight in this space, a showdown between BYU and SMU in Dallas (7:00 pm ET, ESPN2).
The Mustangs (2-0), who will begin their first ACC campaign later this month, have opened the season with victories over Nevada and Houston Christian.
With a win over BYU (1-0), SMU will be 3-0 for the first time since 2021, when they started 7-0.
Early college football picks for this matchup favor that outcome, but will the Cougars, who kicked off the season with a 28-point win over Southern Illinois, conjure up an upset at Gerald J. Ford Stadium? Read on for a BYU vs SMU prediction and expert picks for this Big 12 vs ACC battle.
See more odds for this game and other college football odds at BetOnline. Check out our BetOnline review to learn more about them.
BYU vs SMU Betting Analysis
In their opener at Nevada, the Mustangs trailed 24-13 well into the fourth quarter but scored the game’s final 16 points, including the decisive touchdown with a little over a minute left. There was much less drama last week against Houston Christian, as SMU led 35-0 early in the second quarter on the way to a 59-7 victory.
BYU had a fairly easy, breezy stroll last weekend against Southern Illinois, as two first-quarter touchdowns set the Cougars on their way against the Salukis.
Both teams topped the 500-yard mark offensively while allowing little defensively against their FCS opposition, which is the ideal outcome in such matchups.
All that said, for the purposes of evaluating both teams for this matchup, there’s not much that can be taken from what either team has done thus far, given the opposition.
BYU vs SMU Prediction & Expert Picks
If you look at the 1 to 134 FBS rankings at the likes of CBS Sports and Sporting News, SMU currently comes in more than 30 spots ahead of BYU. The Mustangs were picked to finish seventh in the ACC and slot into the top half of their new conference, while the Cougars were picked to finish 13th in the Big 12, ahead of only Cincinnati, Houston, and Arizona State.
The Big 12 is a stronger conference from top to bottom than the ACC, but that does indicate the perceived gap between BYU and SMU.
However, these early matchups can be rather unpredictable, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if a matchup between two power conference teams is closer than expected for at least most of the evening. Can QB Jake Retzlaff, RB LJ Martin, and the Cougars can move the ball early? That will tell the tale. From this perspective, some early points do look likely based on what both offenses are capable of.
In the end, however, SMU should be able to eke out the cover even if they do get a challenge from the Cougars.
BYU vs SMU Prediction: SMU to win
BYU vs SMU Expert Picks: 1) SMU -11.5, 2) BYU/SMU first quarter over 12.5 points (-120 at BetOnline)
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