Syracuse vs SMU Prediction 3/10/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

In this article, we will formulate a Syracuse vs SMU Prediction for this ACC Tournament 1st Round matchup on Tuesday, March 10th. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this college basketball matchup.

SMU Mustangs Preview

The SMU Mustangs have a 19-12 overall record and an 8-10 record in the ACC conference. They are coming off a 91-78 road loss against Florida State and their previous three games were a 77-69 home loss against Miami, a 95-75 road loss against Stanford and a 73-69 road loss against California.

Offensively, SMU averages 85 points per game, while allowing 78.4 points per game defensively. The Mustangs shoot with 49% from the field and grab 37.6 rebounds per game, while dishing out 17.1 assists per game. They average 3.7 blocks per game and 7.1 steals per game defensively.

Boopie Miller leads SMU in scoring, with an average of 19.4 points per game, while shooting with 47.5% from the field and 87% from the free throw line, adding a team-high 6.6 assists. Samet Yigitoglu is the team’s leading rebounder with 7.8 per game.

Syracuse Orange Preview

The Syracuse Orange have a 15-16 overall record and a 6-12 record in the ACC conference. They are coming off a 71-69 home loss against Pittsburgh and their previous three games were a 77-62 road loss against Louisville, an 88-83 road loss against Wake Forest and a 77-64 home loss against North Carolina.

Offensively, Syracuse averages 75.2 points per game, while allowing 73.9 points per game defensively. The Orange shoot with 47% from the field and grab 34.2 rebounds per game, while dishing out 12.7 assists per game. They average 6 blocks per game and 6.2 steals per game defensively.

Nate Kingz leads Syracuse in scoring, with an average of 11.8 points per game, while shooting with 48.5% from the field and 61.9% from the free throw line. William Kyle III is the team’s leading rebounder with 7.1 per game. Naithan George leads the team in assists with 5.3 per game.

Syracuse Orange @ SMU Mustangs Betting Trends: March 10, 2026

Why the SMU Mustangs will win

• Syracuse has lost nine of its last 10 games after coming off overtime.
• SMU has won five of its last six games against non-AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue.
• Syracuse has lost the first half in four of its last five games played at neutral venues.

Why the Syracuse Orange will win

• SMU has lost each of its last four games.
• Syracuse has won the first half in each of its last five Conference Tournament day games.

Total Points Facts

• Each of SMU’s last 13 Conference Tournament games have produced a total of 156 or fewer points.
• Each of Syracuse’s last nine games against non-AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue have produced a total of 153 or fewer points.

Matchup/League Facts

• SMU ranks 360th among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point field goal attempts per game this season (29.0).
• SMU ranks 359th among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point field goals made per game this season (10.0).
• Syracuse ranks 3rd among Division 1 teams for blocks per game this season (6.0).
• Syracuse ranks 361st among Division 1 teams for free throw percentage this season (64.9%).

Syracuse vs SMU Prediction

In this Syracuse vs SMU Prediction, SMU is coming as -4.5 favorites. SMU has been the better team this season but both teams have almost identical ATS records and both have been struggling lately, having lost their last four and five games respectively. Syracuse won their regular season meeting by one point in a very close game and with both teams not playing very good basketball, I expect this one to be another close call. Take Syracuse and get the +4.5 points in this one.

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Syracuse +4.5