SMU vs California Prediction 2/26/25 College Basketball Picks

The SMU Mustangs are visiting the California Golden Bears on Wednesday, February 26th at the Haas Pavilion. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a SMU Mustangs vs California Golden Bears Prediction. We will examine:

The California Golden Bears’ recent form and player performance

The SMU Mustangs’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the California Golden Bears

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the SMU Mustangs

Recent betting trends in games played between the SMU Mustangs and California Golden Bears

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the SMU Mustangs vs California Golden Bears game

California Golden Bears Preview

The California Golden Bears have a 12-15 record this season and are sitting in 15th place in the Atlantic Coast. The Bears are coming off a 61-66 loss to Stanford. The Bears are 15-11-1 against the spread, and 12-15 in over/under while having a 10-5 home record.

Offensively, California is averaging 74.1 points per game, which ranks 182nd in the nation. Defensively, they allow 75.3 points per game (282nd). The Golden Bears shoot 42% from the field (324th) and 32.3% from beyond the arc (276th). The Golden Bears shoot 75.1% from the free-throw line (78th) and are grabbing 37 rebounds per game (93rd).

Andrej Stojakovic leads California in scoring this season, with an average of 17.6 points and 4.6 rebounds, while Jeremiah Wilkinson adds 14.6 points per game.

SMU Mustangs Preview

The SMU Mustangs have a 20-7 record this season and are sitting in 5th place in the Atlantic Coast. SMU is coming off a 69-79 loss to Clemson. The Mustangs are 14-13 against the spread, and 16-11 in over/under, while having a 6-2 road record.

Offensively, SMU is averaging 82.2 points per game, which is 23rd in the nation. Defensively, they allow 71.7 points per game (180th). The Mustangs shoot 48.1% from the field (35th) and 38% from beyond the arc (20th). The Mustangs shoot 73.2% from the free-throw line (139th) and are grabbing 39.8 rebounds per game (19th).

Kevin Miller leads SMU in scoring this season, with an average of 13.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and a team-high 5.7 assists, while Chuck Harris adds 12.6 points per game.

Why the California Golden Bears will win

• California has won each of its last seven Wednesday games at Haas Pavilion.
• California has won the first half in eight of its last 10 night games at Haas Pavilion.

Why the SMU Mustangs will win

• SMU has won nine of its last 10 games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• California has lost each of its last four games.
• SMU has won the first half in nine of its last 10 games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

SMU Mustangs vs California Golden Bears Prediction

In their previous meeting earlier this season, SMU won 76-65 at home, not covering the -13-point spread, as the game went under the 152-point total.

In this SMU Mustangs vs California Golden Bears Prediction, SMU is coming as a -2.5 road favorites. SMU is rightfully favored, as they have a far better record this season, and have been very good on the road, while California has also been good at home. California has been struggling lately, as they are 1-6 in their last 7 games, but an effective 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games. SMU is also playing good basketball lately, with a 6-2 record in their last 8 games, and 4-2 against the spread in their last 6. Both teams are playing well lately, so I see no value on either side. Both teams are playing some lower-scoring games lately, as they are 13-5 to the under in their last 18 games combined, and their previous meeting this season also went under the point total. Ride the strong trends and take the under again.