SMU vs. Virginia Odds
| SMU Odds | -1.5 |
| Virginia Odds | +1.5 |
| Over/Under | 71.5 |
| Date | Dec. 29 |
| Location | Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts |
SMU is set to take on Virginia in the Fenway Bowl on Dec. 29 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Find our expert's projected odds, a recap of each team's seasons, plus more information on the Fenway Bowl below.
SMU vs. Virginia Projected Odds
| SMU Spread | -2 |
| Virginia Spread | +2 |
| Over/Under | 68.5 |
These SMU vs. Virginia projections are based on Collin Wilson's college football power ratings, which help power our PRO Projections — they compare all of his projections to real-time college football odds in order to easily identify betting edges.
How SMU Reached the Fenway Bowl
Head coach Sonny Dykes took the TCU job, but not before piloting one of the nation’s top offenses.
Oklahoma transfer quarterback Tanner Mordecai filled in effortlessly for a Mustangs unit off back-to-back top-10 ranks in total yards per game.
SMU logged 36.7 points per contest, good for 12th in the country.
The club started the season on a torrid seven-game win streak, but closed just 1-4, dropping a pair of matchups as favorites.
The receiving corps is loaded, featuring five players with at least four touchdowns.
SMU’s defense, meanwhile, allowed 278.2 yards through the air per game, the seventh-worst mark in the nation.
How Virginia Reached the Fenway Bowl
Bronco Mendenhall is officially out at Virginia following a six-year stint with the program.
His parting gift was a bowl appearance for the Cavaliers — the fourth in five years.
The ACC featured plenty of pass-happy attacks, and Virginia was one of them.
Quarterback Brennan Armstrong lit it up on a weekly basis, posting the third-most yards in all of football (4,444).
However, the defense was leaky on all three levels. The Cavaliers were bottom 10 nationally in both total yards and rushing yards allowed, coughing up north of 31 points per game.
The program closed the year 1-3 against the spread, losing to arch-rival Virginia Tech as a 7-point favorite.
SMU vs. Virginia Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how SMU and Virginia match up statistically:
SMU Offense vs. Virginia Defense
 |  Offense |  Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 56 | 103 | |
| Line Yards | 63 | 122 | |
| Pass Success | 3 | 109 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 33 | 69 | |
| Big Play | 14 | 100 | |
| Havoc | 35 | 110 | |
| Finishing Drives | 25 | 70 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Virginia Offense vs. SMU Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 48 | 11 | |
| Line Yards | 10 | 54 | |
| Pass Success | 9 | 91 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 35 | 75 | |
| Big Play | 2 | 84 | |
| Havoc | 68 | 94 | |
| Finishing Drives | 28 | 102 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 94 | 48 |
| Coverage | 123 | 55 |
| Middle 8 | 21 | 16 |
| SP+ Special Teams | 86 | 81 |
| Plays per Minute | 14 | 100 |
| Rush Rate | 47.4% (114) | 38.% (127) |
Fenway Bowl Date, Time, TV, More Info
- Date: Dec. 29
- Time: 11 a.m. ET
- Location: Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts
- TV Info: ESPN
