The SMU Mustangs (10-4) will battle with the 15^th-ranked Memphis Tigers (12-2) coming up on Sunday, January 7 at 5:00 PM ET at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. The Tigers are slight favorites to win this battle with a point spread at -5.5 (-110).

The Mustangs have won their last four games coming into this matchup, showcasing excellent momentum. Their previous success was a 66-54 victory over the Charlotte 49ers.

Zhuric Phelps is averaging 14.7 points per game and shooting 38.9 percent from the field. He is also connecting on 72.6 percent from his free throws, which is a bit lacking and could hurt them in key situations late.

The Mustangs are averaging 75.6 points per game and are shooting 46.5 percent from the field. They are passing the ball well to find the open man with 16.0 assists each game.

They do an excellent job on the defensive end to hold teams to 61.6 points per game. In other key areas of their game, they are averaging 40.7 rebounds, 5.0 blocks, and 8.3 steals each matchup.

The Tigers have won their last seven games heading into this showdown. Their previous success was a 79-75 triumph over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, which marked their fifth game they have won by five points or less this season.

David Jones has been a key factor in their offense this season, with 20.9 points per game and shooting 45.2 percent from the field. He is also grabbing 6.5 rebounds per contest, with 4.6 being defensive.

The Tigers are scoring 79.2 points per game and shooting 45.0 percent from the field. They do not move the ball the same as the Mustangs, with only 12.7 assists per game.

Their defense has also been shaky at times, with a handful of matchups that could have gone the other way. They are allowing teams to average 72.7 points per game. They also put in 37.3 rebounds, 4.5 blocks, and 8.9 steals a game.

MyBookie has the odds set for this matchup, with the Memphis Tigers coming into this game as slight 5.5-point favorites. Market analysis is showing that the Tigers have a 73.1 percent chance at winning this game.

 

The Tigers will likely be without Caleb Mills the rest of the season after suffering a brutal knee injury against the Golden Hurricane in their last performance, which could impact the game in the guard position. Their defense has also not been that strong, which could also be hurt here.