The No. 13 Houston Cougars (20-1, 7-1 AAC) will try to prolong their five-game winning streak against the Temple Owls (15-5, 5-2 AAC) at Fertitta Center. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 31, 2019, and will air on ESPN2.
Temple Owls at Houston Cougars Betting Prediction
In the Owls’ last game, they were beaten by the Cincinnati Bearcats, 72-68. Cincinnati’s rebounding was their biggest strength. The Bearcats had 16 offensive rebounds and 46 total rebounds, while the Owls had three and 22, respectively. J.P. Moorman II led Temple in scoring with 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting.
The Cougars were victorious over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in their last matchup, 77-65. Houston won the rebounding battle. The Cougars had 16 offensive rebounds and 49 total rebounds, while the Golden Hurricane had three and 24, respectively. Armoni Brooks was the top scorer from either team with 22 points on 6-for-16 shooting from the field.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, the Cougars lost 73-69. Breaon Brady had 19 points. Temple made good use of their 28 trips to the free throw line, making 25 of them (89.3 percent). Houston, on the other hand, was just 11-17 (64.7 percent).
Houston should have the edge on the defensive side of the ball. The Cougars rank second in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.419), while Temple is 213th in effective field goal percentage (0.506). Additionally, put-back points could be rare for the Owls. They rank 283rd in the country in offensive rebounding percentage at 25.4 percent, while the Cougars are 58th-best on the defensive glass (defensive rebounding percentage of 74.7 percent).
Temple at Houston Odds Pick
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Houston, ATS Winner – Temple, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Houston ranks ninth in rebounds per game (41.7) while Temple ranks 223rd (33.9).
The Cougars rank 31st in blocks per game (4.6) while the Owls rank 169th (2.3).
Houston ranks 37th in three pointers attempted per game (26.4) while Temple ranks 151st (22.4).
The Cougars rank 19th in assists allowed per game (10.6) while the Owls rank 112th (12.8).
Temple ranks 11th in steals per game (9.1) while Houston ranks 79th (7.0).
Bettings Trends:
The Owls’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 2.2, down from 4.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Cougars have scored an average of 77.6 points per game (1.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 60.6 points per game (0.4 above their season average).
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