SMU Mustangs vs BYU Cougars Prediction, 12/17/2022 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: SMU Mustangs vs BYU Cougars

Date: Saturday, December 17, 2022

Location: University Stadium (NM) in Albuquerque, NM

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Cougars (+1.5)

Total/Over-Under: 70.5

The SMU Mustangs (7-5) are headed to University Stadium (NM) on Saturday, December 17, 2022 where they will take on the BYU Cougars (7-5) in the New Mexico Bowl. SMU is 1.5-point favorites. The total is set at 70.5.

The SMU Mustangs head into this matchup 7-5 for this season. The last time they stepped onto the field, the Mustangs played the Memphis Tigers and notched a win by a score of 34-31. Tyler Lavine led the offense in rushing for the Mustangs with 25 totes for 64 yards (2.6 yds per attempt). Tanner Mordecai went 22/30 with 228 yds passing and 2 touchdowns. He had a quarterback rating of 159.2 and finished the game with no picks. Against the rush, the Mustangs gave up 152 yards on 33 attempts, which calculates to 4.6 yards per rush allowed. SMU surrendered 27 completions on 45 attempts for 287 yards, and a completion rate of 60.0%. For the game, they ran 75 plays for 424 yards. The SMU Mustangs ran the football 37 different times and totaled 113 yards, earning them an average of 3.1 yds per attempt.

The Mustangs have racked up 5,758 yards in total for the season. When it comes to scoring touchdowns, SMU has earned 34 passing touchdowns and 25 touchdowns on the ground. They have surrendered the football 19 different times. SMU has tallied 302 1st downs offensively, and they have committed 53 penalties for 517 yds. As a team they average 154.9 yards in the run game giving them a rank of 65th in the country. When it comes to getting in the endzone, the SMU Mustangs are sitting at 38.4 points per contest.

The Mustangs are sitting in 124th in the nation when it comes to the opposition scoring, allowing 34.7 points per contest. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.9 yards per rush on the ground and 203.2 yards on the ground per contest for the campaign. During this campaign, they have given up 2,438 rushing yards through 12 games. When it comes to passing yardage, the Mustangs are allowing 2,911 yds which has them sitting in 86th in Division 1. They have conceded 242.6 yards per outing via the pass and giving up a completion percentage of 56.7%. For the season, they are surrendering 445.8 yards per game which puts them 118th in the nation. They have surrendered 25 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 28 touchdowns via the ground game.

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The Cougars come into this game with a record of 7-5 for this year. The last time they took the gridiron, the Cougars walked away with a victory by a final of 35-26 against the Stanford Cardinal. Jaren Hall (2 TDs) walked away from the game with 93 yds on 7/11 through the air while his quarterback rating was 194.7. He kept the ball away from the defense with no interceptions and his Y/A was 8.5. Christopher Brooks carried the ball 23 times for 164 yards, finishing the contest with 7.1 yards per attempt for BYU. BYU rushed the ball for 7.2 yards per carry, finishing the contest with 358 yds on 50 attempts. The Cougars finished the game with 451 yards while running 62 plays (7.3 yards per play). The Cougars secondary gave up a completion rate of 76.2%, surrendering 318 yards on 32 for 42 through the air. BYU conceded 19 attempts on the ground for 53 yards (2.8 yards per rush).

When looking at how much they score, the Cougars are ranked 41st in Division 1 with an average of 31.9 PPG. During this campaign thus far, the Cougars have compiled 3,199 yards via the pass not to mention an average of 266.6 passing yards per contest, which ranks 32nd in the country. The BYU Cougars are averaging 440.5 yards/outing, which ranks them 33rd in D-1. The BYU offense has compiled 644 yds of penalties on 70 violations, ranking them 77th in the country in terms of helping out the opposition.

The Cougars are allowing 30.0 points per game, which puts them 100th in the nation. BYU has given up a total of 2,088 rushing yards (174.0 yards per contest) as well as 22 touchdowns rushing on the season. This season, they have relinquished 360 pts. They have given up 23 touchdowns through the air in addition to 235.7 yards per game, which has them sitting 84th in college football. The Cougars defense has been on the field for 817 plays, which is 52nd in D-1.

Who will win tonight's Mustangs/Cougars college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Mustangs -1.5

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