Southern vs SMU Prediction 11/2/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

Southern vs SMU Prediction

I’ll take a stab on the Jaguars but realistically I’m probably just avoiding this one. Southern has some candidates in line to replace Jacobs this year, with the most likely being junior DJ Dormu. Last year at Tarleton State Dormu managed 5.4 PPG and figures to be a key cog in the machine moving forward. Lionel Larvadain (Chicago State) and Duran Parish (20.8 PPG at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC) should factor in major roles as well.

As for SMU, they spent some time in Italy over the summer developing their chemistry and getting some practice time in. The Mustangs aren’t quite as guard-heavy in 2026-27; they’ll be a bigger and longer team hoping to focus more on defense. The big question mark here is with scoring, though. SMU will have to develop a few go-to guys before they can do any damage in the standings.

Game Info, Stats and Previews

The Southern Jaguars and the SMU Mustangs meet Monday in college basketball action from SMU Moody Coliseum. Here’s a Southern vs SMU prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Southern vs SMU pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Southern Jaguars Betting Preview

The Jaguars had what could be described as a middling run in 2025-26. The team managed to go .500 overall at 17-17 but did do better in conference play at 11-7 among the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Southern finished in third place among the standings behind only Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M. The Jags lost in the championship game of the conference tourney to Prairie View A&M.

Southern will have head coach Kevin Johnson back in the fold this season in his fourth year with the school. The Jaguars do have to replace all five starters, though. Michael Jacobs is the glaring name absent this year. He managed 17.3 PPG and 5.0 APG a season ago, earning second-team All-SWAC honors along the way.

SMU Mustangs Betting Preview

Over on the Mustangs’ side, they managed a pretty nice run last year amid some tough competition. SMU went 20-14 overall with a 8-10 record in a tricky ACC. That effort would put the Mustangs near the middle of the pack in the standings, but they still earned a First Four selection to the NCAA Tournament (where they lost to Miami-OH in the first game).

This year SMU has Andy Enfield back on the sidelines for his third year as head coach. He’ll have some adjustments to make this season following the departure of all five starters from a year ago. Journeyman Rowan Brumbaugh is an intriguing addition to the team, coming to SMU after stints with Texas, Georgetown and Tulane, where he notched 19.2 PPG last year.

Southern Jaguars @ SMU Mustangs Betting Trends: November 2, 2026

Why the SMU Mustangs will win

• Southern has lost 23 of its last 24 road night games against non-Conference opponents.
• SMU has won each of its last eight night games against the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
• Southern has lost the first half in each of its last 10 Monday night road games against non-Conference opponents.

Why the Southern Jaguars will win

• SMU has lost four of its last five games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Southern has won four of its last five games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Southern has won the first half in three of its last four games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Matchup/League Facts

• SMU ranked 361st among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point field goal attempts per game last season (29.4).
• SMU ranked 4th for second chance points per game (17.0) in last season’s NCAA Tournament.
• Southern ranked 25th among Division 1 teams for pace last season (71.5).
• Southern ranked 36th among Division 1 teams for free throw attempts per game last season (24.3).

Andrew Jett's Pick: Southern Jaguars +27