Houston Cougars vs. Temple Owls Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Houston Cougars are currently 21-2 and 9-1 in AAC play. They have been one of the best teams in the country this season, but they were upset at home by the Temple Owls as 19-point favorites by the college basketball betting odds two weeks ago. Temple escaped Texas with a one-point win as both teams really struggled on offense. The Owls would love to give their NCAA Tournament hopes a major shot in the arm with another win over the Cougars on Sunday evening, but Kelvin Sampson will have his team fired up for this game.

On Sunday, February 5, 2023, the Houston Cougars will travel to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Temple Owls. This game is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Houston Cougars vs. Temple Owls Betting Prediction

Houston's loss to Temple two weeks ago sticks out like a sore thumb on its schedule. The Cougars' only previous loss came against the Alabama Crimson Tide, and they are 10-1 against Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents. The Owls have made a habit of knocking off top teams with wins over Houston, Rutgers, VCU, Villanova, and Cincinnati, but they have a lot of bad losses too. That inconsistency makes it hard to back the Owls on a consistent basis, but their ability to rise to the occasion makes them a solid bet to cover a double-digit spread at home.

Score Prediction: Houston 67, Temple 61
Best Bet: Temple +11.5

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Houston Cougars vs. Temple Owls Betting Odds

Houston Cougars vs. Temple Owls Betting Resources

Date: Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023
TV-Time: ESPN2, 6:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Liacouras Center
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Matchup
Expert Picks

AAC Championship Odds

Houston Cougars vs. Temple Owls Betting Stats

Houston Cougars
SU: 21-2
ATS: 14-9
O/U: 10-12-1
PPG: 75.2
OPPG: 55.2

Temple Owls
SU: 14-9
ATS: 14-8-1
O/U: 10-12-1
PPG: 69.4
OPPG: 68.1

Straight Up (SU), Against the Spread (ATS), Over-Under (O/U)
Points Per Game (PPG), Opponents Points Per Game (OPPG)

Houston Cougars Betting Analysis

According to Ken Pomeroy's ratings, the Houston Cougars are the best team in the country. Houston is in the top eight on both offense and defense, and that puts them among the true frontrunners to win the national championship.

Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark were both injured at the midway point of last season, but they are both back and having strong seasons with Houston. Sasser leads the Cougars with 16.2 PPG, and he is making almost 37% of his three-pointers. Mark is the second leading scorer among the guards on the team with 9.8 PPG, and he is helping out by also posting 4.2 RPG.

Forwards Jarace Walker and J'Wan Roberts have both filled their roles admirably too. Walker is averaging 11.3 PPG and 6.4 RPG while making 38.3% of his threes, while Roberts is averaging 9.9 PPG and 7.0 RPG in a traditional low post role that has him staying near the basket.

Ramon Walker Jr. was injured in late December and will take a medical redshirt. Aside from that, this is a healthy Houston team that has a nine-man rotation. Their team defense is superb as the Cougars rank second in effective field goal percentage on defense, and thy block a ton of shots.

Temple Owls Betting Analysis

Khalif Battle is the leading scorer on Temple and one of the top scorers in the AAC. Battle is averaging 17.7 PPG for the Owls, yet he has not been efficient when it comes to putting the ball in the basket. He is making just 40.1% of his field goals and 33% of his threes, but he has been an elite free throw shooter by hitting 87.4% of his freebies.

Backcourt mate Damian Dunn has been a more effective scorer for the Owls. Dunn is averaging 14.9 PPG while making 43.1% of his field goals and 34.9% of his threes. He helps dish the ball to teammates more often than Battle too, but he has been more turnover prone too with 2.8 TPG.

Jamille Reynolds is averaging 10.8 PPG for the Owls, but he only recently returned from a thumb injury that kept him out for six weeks. Reynolds showed no ill effects from the injury with a strong performance against his former team, and he leads Temple with 5.9 RPG.

Temple is not good on offense. The Owls shoot free throws very well (77.1% as a team), but they do everything else at a subpar level. They are making just 31.5% of their threes, and they turn the ball over a prodigious amount. Temple is much better on defense though, and that keeps the Owls competitive against quality teams.