The Memphis Tigers (8-3) are seeking to break a three-game losing streak as they take on the Southern Methodist Mustangs (2-9). The AAC’s second-leading passer, Paxton Lynch (3,448 yards, 21 TDs), will be featured in this game. With losses in three of its last five, Memphis comes into this game looking to rekindle a season that has lost its spark. The game will air Saturday, Nov 28 at 12:00 p.m. ET on ESNN.
In last week’s matchup, Memphis lost to Temple 31-12. Phil Mayhue had a solid performance in the loss, pulling in five receptions for 51 yards. SMU is hoping for another victory like last week’s performance, when it smashed Tulane 49-21. Xavier Jones had a great game running the ball for the Mustangs, rushing 17 times for 117 yards and three TDs. Matt Davis put up 165 yards through the air.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is currently not available and the Mustangs are a huge 24-point underdog.
Sitting at 8-3 Straight Up (SU) and 5-5-1 Against The Spread (ATS), the Tigers will look to improve heading into Week 13. In their five most recent matchups, the Tigers went 2-3 for both SU and ATS. A focal point of Memphis’s offense is its passing game, which ranks 13th in the country with 327.6 passing yards per game. During their last five games, the Tigers have improved their pass coverage, giving up an average of 238.8 passing yards. In the first quarter, Memphis is tough to stop, putting up nine points in the first 15 minutes.
Over on the other sideline, the Mustangs head into Week 13 with records of 5-6 ATS and 2-9 SU. Over their last five games, the Mustangs have a SU and ATS record of 1-4 for those betting with them. Other teams have a high success rate throwing the ball against the Tigers. It may be in SMU’s game plan to take advantage of the home team’s inability to stop the pass, 118th in the nation at 14.0 yards per pass. Over the last five games, the Mustangs turned it up on defense, only allowing an average of 162.8 passing yards per game. Teams need to stay focused in the first quarter against the fast-starting Mustangs, who average 9.1 points in the first 15 minutes. Yellow flags will likely be a common sight during any game with Memphis. The Tigers are one of the most penalized teams in the country with eight calls per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Memphis, ATS Winner – Memphis
Notes
Memphis is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games.
Memphis is 15-3 SU in its last 18 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis’s last 7 games.
Memphis is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Memphis’s last 10 games at home.
Memphis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Southern Methodist.
SMU is 2-1 SU when leading at the half this season. Memphis is 5-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
SMU is winless (0-6 SU) in games where it wins the turnover battle, and 1-3 SU when losing the turnover battle.
Nationally, the Memphis passing attack is ranked 13th, while the SMU pass defense is only ranked 81st. The Mustangs passing game is ranked 56th, compared to the 118th-ranked pass defense of the Tigers.
