It will be a battle between American Athletic Conference opponents when the Houston Cougars (19-7) welcome the Temple Owls (16-9) to Hofheinz Pavilion. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 21 and will air on ESW and ES3.
The Cougars come into this game on a high note after defeating Tulane 82-69 on Wednesday. Damyean Dotson was the team’s high scorer with 19 points on 9-for-12 shooting. The Owls, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 83-67 loss at the hands of Villanova on Wednesday. Trey Lowe had a team-high 21 points.
Devonta Pollard has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Cougars. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.0 steal.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the nation’s slowest-paced teams square off. Houston ranks 266th in possessions per game (67.4), while Temple is 305th (66.4).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Cougars won the first game 77-50. Rob Gray Jr. had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 23 points, three rebounds, six assists, three steals, one block, and three three-pointers.
The Cougars are hoping to build on their records of 19-7 Straight Up (SU) and 12-8-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Cougars have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 70.1 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 78.7 points per game. Teams have a tough time keeping Houston off of the offensive glass. They rank 18th in Division I in offensive rebounds. Houston’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 6.0 three-pointers per game. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of the Houston offense, which averages just 10.9 turnovers per game.
On the other side, the Owls have records of 13-11 ATS and 16-9 SU. Offensively, the Owls have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 69.3 points per game by averaging 76.6 during that stretch. The Owls are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 25th in Division I at 1.43. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Owls on the defensive end. They allowed 73.8 points per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 68.0. Temple’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents making only 5.0 shots from the three-point line per game.
Houston beat Temple in their most recent meeting this season, moving its SU record against the Owls to 3-1. Additionally, Houston leads the matchup ATS with a record of 4-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, ATS Winner – Hou
Notes
The Houston Cougars average 78.7 points per game, ranking 49th in the nation. The Temple Owls rank 74th in points allowed with 68.0.
Ranked 12th, the Houston Cougars have an offensive rating of 116.8. The Temple Owls rank 150th with a defensive rating of just 102.5.
Houston has an average field goal percentage of 46.8%. Temple is an even 3-3 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Houston Cougars rank higher based on their field goal percentage (50th) than their effective field goal percentage (83rd). The Temple Owls rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (291st) than their field goal percentage (310th).
The 25th-ranked team in the category, Temple has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.43 this season. Houston ranks 99th with an A/TO of 1.19.
Houston is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 17th. Temple ranks just 212th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Temple forces a turnover rate of 17.1%. When Houston turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 6-3 record.
