Halftime Report
Their last head-to-head back in February of 2023 was close, and so far it looks like that’s how SMU and Wichita State will finish this one. Sitting on a score of 41-37, SMU has looked like the better team, but there’s still one more half to play.
SMU came into the contest with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
SMU Mustangs @ Wichita State Shockers
Current Records: SMU 13-6, Wichita State 8-11
How To Watch
- When: Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 3 p.m. ET
- Where: Charles Koch Arena — Wichita, Kansas
- TV: ESPN2
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $15.15
What to Know
SMU is 1-7 against Wichita State since January of 2018 but they’ll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Sunday. Both teams will face off in an American Athletic battle at 3:00 p.m. ET at Charles Koch Arena. The pair are out to turn their luck around after having lost tight contests in their previous games.
After a string of three wins, SMU’s good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They fell just short of the Mean Green by a score of 68-66. SMU didn’t live up to their potential and found themselves falling short of the advantage oddsmakers thought they had coming into the game.
Despite the defeat, SMU had strong showings from Zhuric Phelps, who scored 22 points, and Tyreek Smith, who scored 13 points along with five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Wichita State’s recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their eighth straight loss. They fell just short of the Pirates by a score of 54-52. After a 85-72 finish the last time they played, Wichita State and East Carolina decided to play a little more cautiously this time around.
The loss doesn’t tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Harlond Beverly, who scored 18 points along with six rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Quincy Ballard, who scored five points along with nine rebounds and seven blocks.
The Mustangs’ defeat dropped their record down to 13-6. As for the Shockers, they have been struggling recently, as they’ve lost ten of their last 11 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-11 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: SMU have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 40.2 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Wichita State struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 40.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Going forward, SMU is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by five points. Those brave souls putting their money on Wichita State against the spread have faith in an upset since their 6-11-1 ATS record can’t hold a candle to SMU’s 11-6-1.
Odds
SMU is a 5-point favorite against Wichita State, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is set at 146 points.
See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Wichita State has won 7 out of their last 8 games against SMU.
- Feb 12, 2023 – Wichita State 91 vs. SMU 89
- Jan 22, 2023 – Wichita State 71 vs. SMU 69
- Feb 05, 2022 – Wichita State 72 vs. SMU 57
- Mar 01, 2020 – Wichita State 66 vs. SMU 62
- Mar 03, 2019 – Wichita State 67 vs. SMU 55
- Jan 30, 2019 – Wichita State 85 vs. SMU 83
- Feb 24, 2018 – Wichita State 84 vs. SMU 78
- Jan 17, 2018 – SMU 83 vs. Wichita State 78
