Ricky Dimon
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It will be a battle between 2 teams on opposite ends of the American Athletic Conference spectrum when the SMU Mustangs visit the Temple Owls on Friday night. SMU is 2-0 in league play and 4-2 overall, while Temple is 0-3 against AAC competition and 2-5 overall. Could there be an upset in the cards, or will the Mustangs take care of business?
Here is my SMU vs Temple Same Game Parlay for the festivities, which will be televised starting at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN2. Also, be sure to check out our full SMU vs Temple predictions.
SMU -20.5 (-120)
Preston Stone Over 2.5 passing touchdowns (-104)
Jaylan Knighton to record 100+ rushing yards (+410)
Parlay odds: +1081
Part of the value in a Same Game Parlay, of course, is that all of its components can be correlated if you so choose. That is the entire plan here, as big performances by Preston Stone and Jaylan Knighton would obviously work well with SMU dominance. Let’s break down each of the 3 legs.
SMU Mustangs -20.5 over Temple Owls (-120)
SMU is coming off a decisive 31-10 victory over East Carolina, while Temple is looking for a bounce back after it continued to struggle last week – losing 45-14 to North Texas. These are 2 teams trending in different directions. SMU has established itself as one of the top teams in the AAC to start the season and has a good opportunity to continue that narrative against one of the conference’s bottom feeders.
he most recognizable name on Temple, EJ Warner (son of Kurt Warner), is questionable after missing the last game with concussion-like symptoms. If Warner is unable to go, starting in his place will be backup quarterback Quincy Patterson. Regardless of who is under center for the Owls, the Mustangs should be in good shape. Temple’s defense has been consistently bad over the past month, allowing more than 40 points in each of its last 4 games. That includes giving up 49 to UTSA and 48 to Tulsa. This talented SMU offense should be able to continue the trend en route to a win by at least 3 touchdowns.
We have college football picks for all of Saturday’s big games
Preston Stone Over 2.5 passing touchdowns (-104)
Stone has been impressive halfway through the season, throwing for 1,467 yards and 14 touchdowns. That’s an average of 2.3 scoring strikes per game overall and he is averaging 2.5 over the last 4 contests. Asking him to reach the 3 mark on Friday probably isn’t too much, as Stone now faces a Temple team that is giving up 231. 7 passing yards per outing. The Owls are in the bottom 10 nationally at 8.7 yards per pass attempts allowed and they have surrendered the fourth-most passing touchdowns (17). Count on Stone victimizing Temple’s secondary with ease.
Jaylan Knighton to record 100+ rushing yards (+410)
SMU employs a 3-running back committee, but Knighton has emerged as the cream of the crop. He has racked up 358 yards on 62 carries (5.8 yards per attempt) to go along with 2 TDs. The 5’10’’ senior ran for 150 yards against Charlotte and gained 76 at Oklahoma’s expense. The Mustangs should be able to run the ball effectively against an Owls defensive unit that allowed 220 yards rushing to North Texas last week. If SMU builds a big lead it will be content to keep the ball on the ground, so this play works well with the point-spread pick.
Find out our expert’s 4 college football best bets for Saturday’s action
