Western Illinois Leathernecks vs SMU Mustangs Prediction, 11/8/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Western Illinois Leathernecks vs SMU Mustangs

Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Location: Moody Coliseum in University Park, TX

TV: ESPN+

Moody Coliseum is the site where the SMU Mustangs (10-22 last year) will attempt to beat the Western Illinois Leathernecks (16-14 last season) on Wednesday.

The Western Illinois Leathernecks took the court against UTSA and took a loss by a score of 78-68 in their last contest. In the matter of personal fouls, the Leathernecks walked away with 25 while UTSA totaled 15 personal fouls. They also made 6 of 23 attempts from beyond the perimeter. UTSA ended up shooting 74.3% at the charity stripe by making 26 of 35 attempts. Furthermore, UTSA had 47 boards (11 offensive, 36 defensive), but didn't notch a block. UTSA earned 13 dimes and had 6 steals for this contest. When it comes to defending, Western Illinois allowed 35.9% from the field on 23 out of 64 shooting. They also doled out 9 assists for the matchup in addition to forcing 6 turnovers and earning 2 steals. In relation to hauling in rebounds, they compiled 51 with 17 of them being on the offensive end. When they shot from the free throw line, the Leathernecks knocked down 14 of 25 shots for a percentage of 56.0%. Western Illinois ended the contest having earned a 32.0% field goal percentage (24 out of 75) and knocked down 6 of their 28 3-point shots.

James Dent Jr. is someone who had an impact in the matchup. He ended up finishing with 20 points on 6 out of 18 shooting. He saw the court for 37 mins played and totaled 7 rebounds. He finished the game shooting 33.3% from the floor and totaled 2 dimes.

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Western Illinois enters this one after finishing with a win-loss record of 16-14 last season. They had an average of 73.0 points per contest (144th in the country) while going 45.3% from the field. The Leathernecks shot 32.1% on three-point attempts (209 of 652) and 70.0% from the charity stripe. As a squad, Western Illinois pulled in 34.5 boards per game and racked up 410 dimes over the course of last season, which had them ranked 220th in the nation in terms of passing. They lost possession via turnover 10.7 times per contest and as a team committed 14.5 personal fouls every game.

On the defensive end of the court, the Leathernecks were able to force 11.8 turnovers per contest and they drew 18.1 fouls. They surrendered 32.5% on 3-point attempts and they were ranked 249th in college basketball in points per game allowed (72.4). The Leathernecks defense gave up and opponent field goal percentage of 46.1% (822 of 1,782) and they conceded 34.6 rebounds per game as a unit. They were ranked 9th in D-1 in giving up assists with 318 surrendered last season.

The last time they took the court, the SMU Mustangs walked away with a victory by a final of 82-63 when they faced Southwestern Assemblies of God. Regarding team rebounding, SMU allowed Southwestern Assemblies of God to pull down 28 in total (9 on the offensive glass). They went 13.3% from beyond the perimeter by going 2 out of 15 and ended up shooting 9 out of 13 from the free throw line (69.2%). The Mustangs permitted Southwestern Assemblies of God to convert 26 of 62 tries from the field which left them shooting 41.9% in this game. In all, the Mustangs ended up going 30 for 71 from the floor which had them sitting at 42.3%. In regard to three-point attempts, SMU converted 2 of 18 attempts (11.1%). They were able to make 20 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 76.9%. Southwestern Assemblies of God was called for 18 personal fouls for the contest which took the Mustangs to the charity stripe for a total of 26 shots. They gave up possession 10 times, while recording 13 steals in this matchup. The Mustangs recorded 25 defensive boards and 14 offensive boards for a total of 39 for this game.

Zhuric Phelps ended up being important for the Mustangs in the matchup. He tallied 24 points in his 30 mins on the hardwood and had 5 dimes for this contest. He converted 8 out of 19 in the matchup for a rate of 42.1%, and earned 3 rebounds.

SMU had a win-loss record of 10-22 last year. As an offense, the Mustangs connected on 42.2% from the field, which ranked 304th in college basketball. SMU earned 2,248 pts last season (70.3 per contest) and they collected 34.9 rebounds per contest. They assisted teammates 13.6 times per contest (142nd in college basketball) and they lost possession by turning the ball over 12.9 times per game. The Mustangs were responsible for committing 17.4 fouls every game and they shot 67.4% from the charity stripe.

The SMU defense conceded 34.9% from downtown (247 of 708) and their opposition made 70.9% of their shots from the free throw line. They relinquished 15.5 dimes and 37.5 boards per game, which ranked them 344th and 340th in college hoops. The Mustangs defensively were ranked 324th in D-1 in PPG surrendered with 75.6. They forced their opponents into 13.4 turnovers on a nightly basis and allowed teams to shoot 45.3% from the field (285th in the country).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take SMU

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