The No. 1-ranked Villanova Wildcats (22-3) travel to play the Temple Owls (16-8) in what should be a low-scoring game. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 17 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Owls come into this game on a high note after defeating South Florida 77-65 on Sunday. Jaylen Bond fueled the Owls, recording his seventh double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are coming off a 73-63 win over St. John’s on Saturday. Daniel Ochefu led the game in scoring with 25 points on 11-for-14 shooting.
Quenton DeCosey has really been playing well recently for the Owls, averaging 20.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 2.6 three-pointers over the last five games.
Half-court execution will be at a premium as Temple ranks 308th in the nation in possessions per game (66.4 possessions per game), while Villanova is 296th (66.9). Furthermore, the defense of the Wildcats should have an advantage in terms of eFG%. They’re 16th in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 44.6%), while the offense of the Owls ranks 291st in eFG% (47.2%).
The Owls enter the game with records of 15-8 Straight Up (SU) and 13-9 Against The Spread (ATS). The Owls, sporting the 28th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.42), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. The Temple defense has been on fire lately, allowing an average of 61.9 points per game, well under their season average of 67.4. The Owls prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 14th in the nation with a .303 opponent field-goal percentage from three-point range.
In the other locker room, Villanova has a SU record of 22-3 and an ATS record of 13-11. The Wildcats are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with a .773 free throw percentage that ranks fourth in Division I. The Wildcats are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 40th in Division I at 1.35. Switching gears to the Villanova defense, the Wildcats allow just 61.0 points per game, ranking them eighth in the nation. Villanova’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .384 from the field.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time these two played, Villanova won, bringing its SU record in their most recent games to 7-3. With a 6-4 record, the Wildcats also have the advantage ATS. Villanova held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Temple never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Vill, ATS Winner – Vill
Notes
“Temple is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games “.
“Temple is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Temple is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games “.
“Temple is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Temple is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Temple’s last 6 games at home”.
“Temple is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Villanova”.
“Temple is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games when playing Villanova”.
“Temple is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Villanova”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Temple’s last 6 games when playing Villanova”.
“Temple is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Villanova”.
“Temple is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Villanova”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Temple’s last 5 games when playing at home against Villanova”.
Villanova scores an average of just 75.8 points per game (ranked 102nd). Temple ranks 65th in points allowed, giving up 67.4 points per game.
Villanova averages 73.2 points per away game (ranked 84th). Temple allows 66.6 points per home game (ranked 96th).
Ranked 40th, the Villanova Wildcats have an offensive rating of 113.3. The Temple Owls rank 142nd with a defensive rating of just 101.8.
Temple has an average field goal percentage of 40.8%. Villanova is a winning 6-3 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Temple Owls and the Villanova Wildcats both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Temple is 312th and 291st in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Villanova is 81st and 52nd in these categories.
Villanova ranks 54th in assists, recording 15.6 per game. Temple performs worse at 201st with 13.2 assists per game.
The Temple Owls make an average of 5.2 steals per game. When the Villanova Wildcats allow 5 or more steals, they are a superb 15-1.
