The 104th and possibly last Battle for the Iron Skillet will take place on Saturday afternoon at Amon G. Carter Stadium when the 2-1 SMU Mustangs travel 40 miles west to take on the 2-0 TCU Horned Frogs.
This rivalry has produced some absolute shootouts in recent years, and it would only be fitting to go out with an offensive explosion by both teams.
Find out who I like in my SMU vs. TCU predictions and college football picks for Saturday, September 20.
SMU vs TCU prediction
SMU vs TCU best bet: TCU Team Total Over 35.5 (-114)
The TCU Horned Frogs kicked off their season as a lone primetime game against Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels. TCU ruined the honeymoon immediately by racking up 48 points and 542 total yards in a 48-14 win on the road.
They followed that game up with a 42-21 win after their bye week over FCS opponent, Abilene Christian. They had 489 total yards in that game and completely let off in the 4th quarter. Meanwhile, the SMU defense struggled badly in their one game against a power conference team this season.
The SMU Mustangs allowed 48 points and 601 total yards in a double overtime 48-45 loss at home to Baylor. They blew a 38-24 lead with about six minutes left in the game due to their bad defense. They even allowed 328 total yards last week to Missouri State, who only averages 274.0 yards per game.
Running back Kevorian Barnes is questionable with a leg injury, but Nate Palmer and Jeremy Payne have averaged 6.8 and 5.2 yards per carry respectively in relief. Quarterback Josh Hoover is completing 76.2% of his passes with six touchdowns to only one pick. TCU will light up the scoreboard against their in-state rivals.
SMU vs TCU same-game parlay
To add to the team total, I am going to take two touchdown scorers – one for each team.
For SMU, I am taking wideout Romello Brinson in a trailing game script, as he already has three on the season.
For TCU, I like wideout Jordan Dwyer, who is a target machine and already has two on the season.
SMU vs TCU SGP
- TCU Team Total Over 35.5
- Romello Brinson anytime TD
- Jordan Dwyer anytime TD
Our deep-ball SGP: Don't Sleep On Mustangs
Adding the Mustangs to keep this game close really boosts this SGP.
SMU has won this game three times on the road since 2011 and will be playing to save their season before entering conference play.
SMU vs TCU SGP
- TCU Team Total Over 35.5
- Romello Brinson anytime TD
- Jordan Dwyer anytime TD
- SMU +6.5
SMU vs TCU odds
- Spread: SMU +6.5 (-102) | TCU -6.5 (-120)
- Moneyline: SMU +198 | TCU -245
- Over/Under: Over 64.5 (-110) | Under 64.5 (-110)
SMU vs TCU trend to know
Seven of the last 10 matchups between these two teams has gone Over the Game Total. Find more college football betting trends for SMU vs TCU.
How to watch SMU vs TCU
| Location | Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX |
| Date | Saturday, September 20, 2025 |
| Kickoff | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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