The No. 21 SMU Mustangs will look to stay undefeated when they host the struggling Tulane Green Wave in an American Athletic Conference matchup on Thursday at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. The Mustangs (6-0, 2-0 in AAC), who are coming off a come-from-behind victory against Navy, are off to a 6-0 start for the second time in three seasons. They also won their first eight games in 2019 when they finished 10-3. Meanwhile, the Green Wave (1-5, 0-2) are looking to snap a four-game losing streak. Their four-game skid matches the program’s longest since 2017.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Mustangs are 14-point favorites in the latest SMU vs. Tulane odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 70.5. Before you make any Tulane vs. SMU picks, you need to see the college football predictions from SportsLine’s advanced computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,700 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 8 of the 2021 season on a 22-9 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now the model has dialed in on SMU vs. Tulane and just revealed its CFB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s picks. Here are several CFB odds and betting lines for Tulane vs. SMU:
- SMU vs. Tulane spread: SMU -14
- SMU vs. Tulane over-under: 70.5 points
- SMU vs. Tulane money line: Mustangs -600, Green Wave +425
- SMU: Tanner Mordecai has 26 TD passes this season, which is tied for the most in the FBS
- TUL: The defense averages 7.0 tackles for loss per game, which ranks second in the AAC
Featured Game | SMU Mustangs vs. Tulane Green Wave
Why SMU can cover
Quarterback Tanner Mordecai is having a prolific season. The 6-foot-3 transfer from Oklahoma has thrown 26 touchdown passes this season, which is tied with Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe for the most in the country. Mordecai also leads the AAC and ranks sixth in the country in passing efficiency (175.5).
In addition, SMU has dominated the series against Tulane recently. The Mustangs have won six straight meetings between the teams, nine of the last 10 overall and the last five games in Dallas. The Mustangs’ average margin of victory in their last five home wins in the series has been 14.8 points per game.
Why Tulane can cover
Tulane’s defense has the ability to get into SMU’s backfield. The Green Wave average 7.0 tackles for loss per game this season, which ranks second in the AAC and 19th in the country. They also average 2.5 sacks per game, which is second in the conference.
In addition, tight end Tyrick James has established himself as one of the top tight ends in the country so far this season. The 6-foot-2 junior from Waco, Texas, has been the team’s top pass catcher with 22 catches for 343 yards and three touchdowns. His 343 yards receiving rank in the nation’s top 10 among tight ends.
How to make Tulane vs. SMU picks
SportsLine’s model says the game goes over on the point total, and it also has an against-the-spread pick that cashes in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s SMU vs. Tulane picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Tulane vs. SMU? And which side of the spread hits almost 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the SMU vs. Tulane spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is on a 22-9 run on top-rated picks, and find out.
