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Two of the top contenders in the AAC West Division title race square off this Saturday night with the SMU Mustangs making the trip to TDECU Stadium to face the Houston Cougars in a scheduled 7 p.m. (ET) start on CBS Sports Network.
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SMU at Houston Game Overview<br />
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The Mustangs are off to a solid 4-1 start straight-up and they have been one of the best betting teams in the nation at 5-0 against the spread. The total has gone OVER in four of their first five games. SMU opened conference play last Saturday with a 49-28 victory against Connecticut as a 16-point home favorite with the closing line on the total set at 74.5 points. It racked up 44 points in a 23-point win against Arkansas State at home as a 2.5-point favorite with the total closing at 72 points.
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SMU has clearly demonstrated its ability to put points on the board this season and, even in a 20-point loss to TCU as a heavy 22.5-point road underdog, this offense came away with 36 points. Ben Hicks has led the way in the passing game with 1,275 yards throwing the ball and 14 touchdown passes while Xavier Jones has anchored the running game with 368 yards and three scores on 63 carries. The Mustangs are ranked third in the nation in scoring, but they fall to 94th when it comes to points allowed (30.2).
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Houston is 3-1 SU after its first four games and its record ATS stands at an even 2-2 after failing to cover as 10.5-point road favorites in last Saturday’s 20-13 victory against Temple in its AAC opener. The total stayed UNDER 44 points in that game and it has stayed UNDER in the Cougars’ first four games. They have closed as favorites in their first four games after starting the season with a 19-16 road win against the Pac-12 Arizona Wildcats as two-point favorites.
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Defense has been the primary strength of this team so far with a points-allowed average of 14.8 that is ranked 14th in the nation. On the other side of the ball, Houston has done a pretty good job of moving downfield through the air with 280.5 passing yards per game. Junior quarterback Kyle Allen has taken the majority of the snaps and he has thrown for 751 yards and four scores against four interceptions. Linell Bonner has been the Cougars’ leading receiver with 32 catches for 300 yards and three touchdowns.
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SMU at Houston Game Betting Trends<br />
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The Mustangs are a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last four road games and they have gone 6-2 ATS in their last eight conference games. The total has gone OVER in their last five games on the road.
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The Cougars have failed to cover in their last seven games in the AAC and they are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five conference games.
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Head-to-head in this AAC division matchup, Houston has an 8-2 SU edge in the last 10 meetings, but SMU has covered in three of the last five games. The total has stayed UNDER in four of the last six meetings.
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