The Houston Cougars (11-2, 1-0 AAC) will attempt to extend a five-game home winning streak when they meet the Temple Owls (7-5, 0-1 AAC) at Health & PE Center. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 30, 2017.
Temple Owls at Houston Cougars ATS Preview
In the Owls last matchup, they lost to the Tulane Green Wave, 85-75. Quinton Rose had a solid performance for Temple, leading the team in scoring with 17 points on 6-for-15 shooting. Tulane did a fantastic job of making free throws (19-20; 95.0 percent). Temple, on the other hand, had an offensive rebounding percentage of 37.8 (above their season average of 27.5).
The Cougars hope to maintain momentum after dismantling the South Florida Bulls in their last contest, 79-60. Houston was lifted by Corey Davis Jr. who was the teams high scorer with 15 points on 3-for-8 shooting. Houston played a nearly flawless game. They had an effective field goal percentage of 0.524 (below their season average of 0.560) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 31.4 (below their season average of 35.7). For those same stats, South Florida had marks of 0.377 and 25.6, respectively.
The high-powered offense of Houston will clash against the bottom-tier defense of Temple. The Cougars rank 37th in offensive efficiency, while the Owls are 279th in defensive efficiency. The Cougars figure to have the edge on that end of the court.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after the Cougars won the lone contest last season, 79-66. The Cougars dominated every facet of the game. They had an extraordinary free throw rate of 0.321 and a great offensive rebounding percentage of 29.0. For those same stats, the Owls had marks of 0.065 and 23.7, respectively.
Temple Owls vs. Houston Cougars Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Houston, ATS Winner – Houston, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Owls rank 49th in steals allowed per game (5.5) while the Cougars rank 61st (5.8).
- Houston ranks 37th in rebounds per game (39.7) while Temple ranks 218th (33.3).
- The Cougars rank 26th in assists allowed per game (10.7) while the Owls rank 180th (14.6).
- Houston ranks 31st in blocks allowed per game (2.5) while Temple ranks 116th (3.8).
Bettings Trends:
- The Cougars average margin of victory in their last five games has been 13.2, down from 14.8 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Owls have scored an average of 70.4 points per game (1.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 78.8 points per game (6.6 above their season average).
