Arizona vs SMU Prediction, Picks & Odds | 02 Jan 2026
College Football Betting Preview: Arizona vs SMU
No. 17 Arizona go up against SMU in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, with kickoff scheduled for 21:00 on Friday, January 2.
There’s a good opportunity to back SMU against the spread considering the underdogs should perform well against Arizona. Snap up the -115 when it comes to the Mustangs covering the +2.5.
The Arizona Wildcats (9-3, 4th in Big 12) have won five straight games, most recently claiming a 23–7 road victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Duel in the Desert at Mountain America Stadium.
The SMU Mustangs (8-4, 2nd in ACC) saw their three-game winning streak come to an end with a 38–35 road loss to the Cal Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium in their last outing.
Quarterbacks
Noah Fifita
Kevin Jennings
Arizona vs SMU Prediction & Picks
Head into Arizona vs SMU with expert betting insights, including our main match prediction, expected scoreline, key player prop picks and a thoughtfully built bet builder.
Game Prediction
Our pick is that SMU can outperform their odds in the Holiday Bowl. It leads us to a wager on the spread lines considering that an appealing +2.5 has been chalked up at -115.
Recent form is always part of the equation and we combine it with team news as soon as it’s available. To deliver expert predictions, our college football handicappers also analyze the latest stats to ensure we’re working with the best information possible.
Key Arizona vs SMU stats:
SMU +2.5 Probability
If you go by the best sportsbooks, our pick has a 53.5% prospect of winning. However, our analysts have this number closer to 60% based on their in-depth research. That means we’re regarding it as a value bet.
If you’re searching for bigger odds and feel confident that your selection will perform well, then moving the line can secure an increased potential payout.
Before you place your bets, explore our updated guide packed with the latest free bets and betting bonuses.
Player Prop Picks
You can place a bet on T.J. Harden (SMU) to hit paydirt at -105. All things considered, we believe the odds are appealing for betting on him in the Anytime Touchdown Scorer market.
The odds for Kris Hutson (SMU) to rack up over 78.5 receiving yards are -114. The line for him on the Overs is highly appealing, with Player Receiving Yards bettors able to get plenty of juice.
Pick odds and lines correct at publication. Live market odds are updated regularly and may differ. T&Cs apply. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.
Same Game Parlay Picks
Take a same game parlay that incorporates SMU to cover the +2.5 spread along with Under 52.5 points. Add in T.J. Harden (SMU) as an anytime touchdown scorer.
Many betting sites now allow you to place a same game parlay on each individual football game. It means that you can create a personalised wager at bigger odds, with there generally being no limit as to the number of picks.
Correct Score Prediction
21
-
24
SMU
There’s every chance that this is going to be a close matchup and we’ll have a play on the Mustangs achieving a 24-21 winning scoreline. Hopefully this can go close.
Arizona vs SMU Odds
The odds and lines below are updated regularly and may differ from the prices shown in our picks, which are captured at the time of publication.
The betting odds about SMU winning the Holiday Bowl is -127, with Arizona priced up at +108 to achieve victory. According to the top sportsbooks, the Mustangs have an implied probability of 56%.
The current spread is 1.5 and total points is 54.5. The Totals offers football bettors an alternative way of getting involved. If you’re going for Under 54.5, this outcome can be backed at -110.
There’s no shortage of betting opportunities when it comes to college football. The best betting apps offer a wide variety of team props and game lines for each game, so be sure to explore both the pre-game and in-game markets before making your pick.
T.J. Harden is favorite to be First Touchdown Scorer at +600. If you want to back him to score the last TD, you can get similar odds.
Touchdown
Receiving Yards
Rushing Yards
Passing Yards
Micro betting is an exciting way to wager on college football. There are a huge range of live lines and it’s a simple case of predicting what is going to happen next. Field Goal Outcome, Next Drive Result and Next Play Result are often among the options.
Latest regular season and playoff games stats.
Arizona Wildcats Stats
SMU Stats
- 7 wins and 3 defeats in the last 10 games
- 4 wins and 6 defeats in the last 10 games on the road
- -2.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 7 of the last 10 games
- -2.5 Betting Line on the Road: Have covered the spread in 4 of the last 10 games on the road
- +2.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 8 of the last 10 games
- +2.5 Betting Line at Home: Have covered the spread in 8 of the last 10 home games
- Game Totals: An average of 52.10 pts in the previous 10 games
- Game Totals on the Road: An average of 54.10 pts in the previous 10 games on the road
- Over 52.5: Covered in 7 of the previous 10 games
- Over 52.5 on the Road: Covered in 7 of the previous 10 games on the road
- Team Totals: Have scored an average of 30.30 pts and allowed 21.80 pts in the last 10 games
- Team Totals on the Road: Have scored an average of 23.60 pts and allowed 30.50 pts in the last 10 games on the road
- Game Totals: An average of 49.50 pts in the previous 10 games
- Game Totals at Home: An average of 57.90 pts in the previous 10 home games
- Over 52.5: Covered in 4 of the previous 10 games
- Over 52.5 at Home: Covered in 5 of the previous 10 home games
- Team Totals: Have scored an average of 30.80 pts and allowed 18.70 pts in the last 10 games
- Team Totals at Home: Have scored an average of 37.10 pts and allowed 20.80 pts in the last 10 home games
| Atlantic Coast | W | L | PF | PA | N. Pts | Home | Away | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Miami
|
10 | 2 | 409 | 166 | 243 | 7-1 | 3-1 | 4W |
Virginia
|
10 | 3 | 418 | 267 | 151 | 6-2 | 4-1 | 1L |
Georgia Tech
|
9 | 3 | 397 | 300 | 97 | 5-2 | 4-1 | 2L |
Pittsburgh
|
8 | 4 | 421 | 299 | 122 | 4-3 | 4-1 | 1L |
|
SMU
|
8 | 4 | 395 | 248 | 147 | 5-1 | 3-3 | 1L |
Louisville
|
8 | 4 | 362 | 253 | 109 | 5-3 | 3-1 | 1W |
Wake Forest
|
8 | 4 | 322 | 258 | 64 | 5-2 | 3-2 | 1L |
Duke
|
8 | 5 | 442 | 373 | 69 | 3-3 | 5-2 | 3W |
NC State
|
7 | 5 | 362 | 346 | 16 | 6-1 | 1-4 | 2W |
California
|
7 | 5 | 298 | 318 | -20 | 4-2 | 3-3 | 1W |
Clemson
|
7 | 5 | 344 | 245 | 99 | 3-4 | 4-1 | 4W |
Florida State
|
5 | 7 | 396 | 264 | 132 | 5-2 | 0-5 | 2L |
Stanford
|
4 | 8 | 226 | 350 | -124 | 4-2 | 0-6 | 1L |
North Carolina
|
4 | 8 | 231 | 294 | -63 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 3L |
Virginia Tech
|
3 | 9 | 257 | 362 | -105 | 2-5 | 1-4 | 4L |
Syracuse
|
3 | 9 | 242 | 419 | -177 | 2-4 | 1-5 | 8L |
Boston College
|
2 | 10 | 305 | 393 | -88 | 1-6 | 1-4 | 1W |
| Big 12 | W | L | PF | PA | N. Pts | Home | Away | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas Tech
|
12 | 1 | 552 | 142 | 410 | 8-0 | 4-1 | 6W |
BYU
|
11 | 2 | 415 | 247 | 168 | 6-0 | 5-2 | 1L |
Utah
|
10 | 2 | 493 | 224 | 269 | 5-1 | 5-1 | 5W |
|
Arizona
|
9 | 3 | 391 | 227 | 164 | 6-1 | 3-2 | 5W |
Houston
|
9 | 3 | 340 | 262 | 78 | 3-3 | 6-0 | 1W |
Iowa State
|
8 | 4 | 329 | 242 | 87 | 4-2 | 4-2 | 3W |
TCU
|
8 | 4 | 369 | 302 | 67 | 5-1 | 3-3 | 2W |
Cincinnati
|
7 | 5 | 381 | 298 | 83 | 5-3 | 2-2 | 4L |
Kansas State
|
6 | 6 | 353 | 320 | 33 | 4-3 | 2-3 | 1W |
Baylor
|
5 | 7 | 373 | 391 | -18 | 3-4 | 2-3 | 3L |
Kansas
|
5 | 7 | 337 | 321 | 16 | 4-3 | 1-4 | 3L |
UCF
|
5 | 7 | 292 | 283 | 9 | 5-2 | 0-5 | 1L |
West Virginia
|
4 | 8 | 261 | 370 | -109 | 3-3 | 1-5 | 2L |
Colorado
|
3 | 9 | 251 | 366 | -115 | 3-4 | 0-5 | 5L |
Oklahoma State
|
1 | 11 | 170 | 400 | -230 | 1-6 | 0-5 | 11L |
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