March Madness 2026 is here. Selection Sunday is complete, and the First Four and First Round matchups are set for the annual NCAA Division I basketball tournament. Sixty-eight teams will start the tournament, which kicks off with two First Four Games on March 17 (UMBC vs. Howard, Texas vs. NC State) and two on March 18 (Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh, Miami Ohio vs. SMU). The Round of 64 begins on March 19, and the tournament comes to a close on Monday, April 6, with the NCAA Championship Game scheduled for Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. In this breakdown, we look at the First Four game between Miami Ohio and SMU.
Miami Ohio enters March Madness with a 31-1 record. The team’s perfect season ended on March 12 in the first game of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, when UMass beat the RedHawks 87-83. The team finished the regular season with a perfect 18-0 record in the MAC.
SMU represents the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Mustangs had an overall record of 20-13, and were 8-10 in the ACC. SMU is coming off a 62-58 loss to Louisville in the second round of the ACC tournament.
The winner of Miami Ohio vs. SMU will be the No. 11 seed and move on to play Tennessee (No. 6) in the Round of 64 in the Midwest on March 20.
Who: Miami Ohio vs. SMU
Where: UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio
When: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Time: 9:15 p.m. ET
How to Watch: truTV
| Teams |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMU | -300 | -320 | -300 |
| Miami Ohio | +245 | +260 | +250 |
| SMU Mustangs -7 | -106 | -110 | -110 |
| Miami Ohio RedHawks +7 | -114 | -110 | -110 |
| Over 164.5 Points | -105 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 164.5 Points | -115 | -110 | -110 |
Miami Ohio had a great run during the 2026 season, but having a nearly perfect record against unranked teams can be misleading when it comes time to examine a team’s chances against the best opponents in the NCAA. SMU might not have the record of Miami Ohio, but the team does have wins against ranked opponents in North Carolina and Louisville.
So, the question becomes, can the underdog team that was perfect during the regular season beat an ACC team?
If Miami Ohio hopes to win, it’s going to need to find some scoring. While the RedHawks have seven players who scored in double digits in 2026, they don’t have a single player who put up more than 14.6 points per game, and three of the players who hit double figures barely made that mark at 10.1 and 10.3 points per game.
Peer Suder, who led the team in scoring, was the MAC Player of the Year, and Brant Byers, Eian Elmer, Luke Skaljac, Antwone Woolfolk, and Trey Perry will be able to help the team leader on offense. However, the team’s defense, which ranked fifth in the ACC and 223rd overall in points allowed per game, will be tested by SMU.
Miami Ohio can win this game, but they need to play perfectly.
SMU has not played in a March Madness tournament since 2017, when the team lost to USC (66-65) in the first round. 2026 marks the first time the Mustangs have made the event since moving to the ACC in 2024 from The American Conference, where they played for 11 years.
Things have been rough for SMU over the past few weeks. The Mustangs are 1-5 since February 25. The team’s only win during that time was an 86-69 victory over Syracuse in the first round of the ACC tournament. They are coming off a 62-58 loss to Louisville in the second round of that event.
SMU is a strong offensive team, ranking second in the ACC in points per game with 84.2, just .6 points behind conference-leading Louisville. Boopie Miller, the team leader with 19.2 points per game, was fifth in the ACC in points per game, while Jaron Pierre Jr. was eighth (17.6). Three other Mustangs averaged double digits in points per game.
The team got good news a few days ago, as B.J. Edwards, who missed the last five games of the year, will be available against Miami Ohio. Edwards is averaging 12.7 points and 4.9 assists per game. With Edwards on the court, look for Pierre Jr. and Miller to open things up a lot more than they have recently.
If SMU has a weakness, it is defense. The team ranked second last in points per game in the ACC, giving up 77.6. The only team that surrendered more was Florida State at 77.9.
Miami Ohio were a feel-good story during the regular season, and they do have a chance to get a win over SMU, but they can’t make many mistakes, and with the offensive firepower on the Mustangs, the RedHawks could be in trouble early.
The betting pick is that SMU moves on to the Round of 64 in March Madness with a win over Miami Ohio.
You have to good offenses and two questionable defenses playing in this First Four game. The betting picks is that Miami Ohio and SMU combine for more than 164/.5 points.
Prior to making any bets on your NCAA Basketball picks, you definitely should look at our picks to make the 2026 Final Four. You can also look at the latest Vegas March Madness betting odds, as well as our betting pick to win the NCAA basketball championship. You should also be taking advantage of these Vegas betting site bonuses to make the most of your NCAA Basketball betting.
