The 43rd Safeway Bowl will take place tonight as the North Texas Mean Green will visit the SMU Mustangs for the final installment of this DFW rivalry for the foreseeable future. The game will kickoff at 9 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN2.
North Texas (3-6, 1-4 AAC) suffered its third straight loss last Saturday, a 37-29 setback against another Lone Star State rival in UTSA. Despite outgaining the Roadrunners offensively, turnovers killed the Mean Green in this contest as their three giveaways eventually turned into 13 points for UTSA. Quarterback Chandler Rogers went 20-37 for 272 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss.
SMU (7-2, 5-0 AAC) is right in the mix for a spot in the AAC Championship Game and was able to edge Rice in a 36-31 victory last Saturday. The Mustangs had to gut this one out as the Owls simply would not go away. With Rice driving late, safety Isaiah Nwokobia would come away with the game-sealing interception with 1:07 left. Starting quarterback Preston Stone threw for 217 yards, ran for 81 yards, and accounted for three touchdowns before being knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter with a head injury. Backup Kevin Jennings took over the rest of the way.
SP+ Rankings
North Texas: 96 overall, 30 offense, 133 defense
SMU: 34 overall, 25 offense, 48 defense
Injury update
North Texas
WR Damon Ward – Questionable (Undisclosed)
WR Roderic Burns – Questionable (Undisclosed)
SMU
QB Preston Stone – Questionable (Head)
WR Jordan Kerley – Out for season (Knee)
ATS/Total
Against The Spread in 2023
North Texas: 6-3 ATS
SMU: 5-4 ATS
Total in 2023
North Texas: Over 5-4
SMU: Over 4-5
Team Pace
North Texas: 2.62 plays per minute of offense (8th)
SMU: 2.46 plays per minute of offense (34th)
Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: SMU -17.5
Total: 66.5
Moneyline: SMU -950, North Texas +625
Opening line: SMU -16.5
Opening total: 71.5
Weather
53 degrees, cloudy, 7 MPH winds ENE
Our Best Bet for North Texas vs. SMU
North Texas +17.5
North Texas should be game for this rivalry matchup and that’s the case whether or not Preston Stone plays. Even with the worst-ranked defense in SP+, the Mean Green’s offense has kept them competitive in most of their games and there’s a good chance they could make things a little bit tense for the home crown in Highland Park. Take UNT to cover.