Oddsmakers at online sports gambling giant SportsBetting.com installed the Texas Tech Red Raiders road favorites (-9.0) when they play the SMU Mustangs at Ford Field on the SMU campus in Dallas Labor Day afternoon (4:00 p.m. ET). The TOTAL is holding at 60. Betting trends show early wagering stacking up on the side of Texas Tech (91 percent) while 82 percent expect the total to slip OVER 60 points. At the time of publication no money lines were available.
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While the game between the Mustangs and Red Raiders might not be a big deal nationally, make no mistake about it, the game’s a huge deal around the Big-D. ESPN will be televising the game in what is expected to be a sold out (32,000) Ford Stadium.
SMU would like to end Tech’s 11 year dominance of the game dating back to 1986. In that span, the Red Raiders have enjoyed 12 straight winning seasons and gone to seven straight bowls. The Mustangs haven’t won a season opener since beating Kansas in 2000 and haven’t gone to a bowl since 1984.
The Mustangs like their offense too and players think they can go toe to toe with the Red Raiders this time around. Coming off a 6-6 record, their first non-losing season since 1997, the Mustangs are settled at quarterback with sophomore Justin Willis. As a freshman last year, Willis threw a school record 26 touchdown passes with only six interceptions.
For the first time in Phil Bennett’s six years as head coach, the Ponies expect a winning season something they’ve missed the last two seasons.
As usual, expect Tech coach Mike Leach to have returning quarterback Graham Harrell flinging the ball to wide-out Michael Crabtree and tail back Shannon Woods out of the backfield as well as a host of other receivers. But don’t expect the Ponies to just lay down. Tech has had trouble with SMU the last two times the teams have played in Dallas, with the Raiders winning only 24-14 in 2002 and 27-13 in 2004.
Tech's defensive strength is in its secondary, which will match up with an athletic group of SMU receivers, including Emmanuel Sanders, Columbus Givens and Devin Lowery.
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