Florida State vs SMU prediction, odds, pick for College Football Week 5
Yesterday at 05:57 AM
It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Florida State-SMU prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Florida State-SMU.
The Florida State Seminoles finally did get a win last week, but the overall product still doesn’t look very good. The Seminoles won only because their defense was strong enough to get the job done in a 14-9 win over Cal at home. Florida State scored fewer than 15 points for the third time in four games. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei still can’t find a rhythm in coach Mike Norvell’s scheme. Florida State’s 21 points against Georgia Tech in the season opener on Aug. 24 represent the most points the Seminoles have scored in a game this season. In the ensuing four weeks, FSU hasn’t been able to match that very modest total. Florida State is averaging under 16 points per game this season. That is staggeringly bad in college football to begin with — for any team — and it also shows just how much the Seminoles have regressed in one season after Jordan Travis quarterbacked them to an unbeaten regular season. FSU had offensive hiccups and occasional stumbles last season. This season, there’s nothing occasional about the stumbles; they occur regularly, in every game and during every weekend. Uiagalelei is clearly not the answer at quarterback, but the problems go beyond him. The offensive line is not playing to par. The receivers aren’t doing enough to compensate for the limitations of their quarterback. It’s a real mess for Florida State.
Now the Seminoles make their first trip to University Park and suburban Dallas for an ACC game. This is SMU’s first conference game as an ACC member school. FSU’s place as a preseason top-15 team made this game feel like a huge event for SMU when the schedule initially came out. To be sure, the crowd will still be fired up for SMU’s ACC debut after four nonconference games to start the season. However, Florida State’s disappointing start to the season has undeniably taken some of the buzz and sex appeal out of this game. What remains is whether SMU can take advantage of Florida State in its greatly diminished state, or if FSU can build off the Cal win and begin to generate some sustained forward momentum in its already-brutal 2024 season.
Here are the Florida State-SMU College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Florida State-SMU Odds
Florida State: +6.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +172
SMU: -6.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -210
Over: 47.5 (-110)
Under: 47.5 (-110)
How to Watch Florida State vs SMU
Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
TV: ACC Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free trial)
Why Florida State Could Cover The Spread/Win
SMU did just beat TCU 66-42, which is undeniably the reason the Mustangs are favored by 6.5 points over the Seminoles, but it could simply be the case that TCU is really bad and that Florida State — which plays far, far better defense than TCU — will be able to stay close and cover the spread of nearly a touchdown. SMU should not be getting this much benefit of the doubt. The line should be 3.5 points instead of 6.5. There is real value to be had with an FSU +6.5 pick.
Why SMU Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Mustangs might not be a very good team overall, but scoring 66 against TCU shows their offense has a far higher ceiling than Florida State’s sputtering attack. SMU doesn’t even need to play its very best game to win by a touchdown against this lowly and impotent Florida State offense.
Final Florida State-SMU Prediction & Pick
The spread does seem too large, and we would lean to Florida State, but we ultimately think neither team is trustworthy enough to merit a pregame bet. A live play could be worth your while, however.
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Final Florida State-SMU Prediction & Pick: Florida State +6.5
The post Florida State vs SMU prediction, odds, pick for College Football Week 5 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
