Temple Owls at Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Prediction

betdsiArticles, Basketball, College Basketball

The Temple Owls (17-15) battle against the Penn State Nittany Lions (21-13) in the NIT at Bryce Jordan Center. The Owls opened as a 9.5-point underdog. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 145 points and it can be seen on ESPNU at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 14, 2018.

Temple Owls vs. Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Odds

Both teams fell in their last contest. The Nittany Lions fell to the eighth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers, 78-70, while the Owls were defeated by the 11th-ranked Wichita State Shockers, 89-81.

Temple had an effective field goal percentage of 0.613 (above their season average of 0.491) while Penn State had a turnover percentage of 10.1 (better than their season average of 15.4). Penn State rallied around Shep Garner, who finished with 33 points. Quinton Rose, meanwhile played well for Temple, finishing with 25 points.

Penn State figures to have the edge on the defensive side of the ball. The Nittany Lions rank 64th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.484), while Temple is 264th in effective field goal percentage (0.494).

Games featuring the Owls have a slight tendency to go over the O/U total (53.1 percent). Temple holds records of 17-15 straight up (SU) and 17-15 against the spread (ATS).

Contrary to Temple, games featuring the Nittany Lions have finished under the total 53.3 percent of the time. Further, Penn State owns records of 21-13 SU and 17-12-1 ATS.

Temple Owls vs. Penn State Nittany Lions ATS Pick

College Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Penn State, ATS Winner – Temple, O/U – Under

Betting Notes:

  • Penn State ranks 71st in rebounds allowed per game (33.0) while Temple ranks 270th (38.1).
  • The Nittany Lions rank 39th in steals per game (7.4) while the Owls rank 86th (6.7).
  • Penn State ranks 141st in assists per game (13.7) while Temple ranks 146th in assists allowed per game (13.4).
  • The Owls rank 92nd in three pointers attempted per game (23.6) while the Nittany Lions rank 230th (19.3).
  • Penn State ranks 17th in blocks per game (5.2) while Temple ranks 139th (3.2).

Bettings Trends:

  • The Owls’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 1.6, up from 0.4 for the season.
  • During their last five games, the Nittany Lions have scored an average of 66.2 points per game (8.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 70.2 points per game (3.3 above their season average).