TCU SMU Betting – SMU Looks To Pull Massive Upset Against An Elite Foe
The SMU Mustangs get TCU at home on a Friday night. They’ll try their best to score a huge win, but will effort level be enough?
NCAA football betting: Texas Christian Horned Frogs @ Southern Methodist Mustangs
Online Betting Odds: TCU -17
Why To Bet On TCU
The Horned Frogs are simply loaded in 2010, with many of their prime performers on offense returning to the fold. Andy Dalton is a dual-threat quarterback whose running game – not his passing ability – made the difference for the Horned Frogs in their 30-21 season-opening win over Oregon State. Dalton has a lot of speedy receivers and shifty backs to give the ball to, in the form of both forward passes and handoffs. Jeremy Kerley’s quickness in the open field, combined with the powerful running of Ed Wesley in the backfield, give TCU a number of viable options on any scrimmage play. Antoine Hicks is another downfield threat, and the roster of TCU skill-position studs doesn’t get exhausted very easily. This is a relentless offense that will flourish as long as Dalton makes sound decisions and doesn’t try to force passes into tight coverage windows.
Another reason to take TCU in this game is SMU’s schedule. The Mustangs just played Washington State, in most eyes the worst team in any of the six BCS conferences (Pac-10, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, ACC, Big East). Washington State’s lack of athleticism on the edges, and its equally barren profile in the trenches, makes the Cougars a lower-tier Conference USA team at best, and that’s no way for SMU to prepare for the explosive TCU offense. SMU is going to be shocked by the differential between Washington State and TCU. The Mustangs should have filled their week-three slate with a tougher opponent before tackling TCU in week four.
Why To Bet On SMU
The Mustangs have a proven quarterback, Kyle Padron, in charge of their offense. Padron had an exceptional 2009 season and he knows how to operate coach June Jones’ passing offense. SMU needs to be able to operate at peak efficiency on offense in this game, because TCU is likely to put up a huge number of points in its own right. SMU has to be able to hit home-run pass plays of 40 or more yards on several occasions, scoring touchdowns without risk of getting bogged down in the red zone. SMU will need at least 30 points to win, and very likely 40, but if there’s an offense that can do the deed against a youthful TCU defense, this is it. June Jones has unlocked the talents of the Mustangs in his resurrection of the program. Padron is the field general who can make this offense hum on gameday, putting the Horned Frogs on the defensive in ways both literal and figurative.
How The Game Will Play Out
The Mustangs will spill the tank in their attempt to register a monster upset, and in the first one and a half quarters, their energy level will enable them to land some punches. However, as this game progresses and TCU coach Gary Patterson makes halftime adjustments, it’s very hard to see how SMU – which is still undersized up front – can hang with TCU’s superior athletes. TCU is just a lot better; that’s not a knock on SMU at all.
