The No. 12 Cincinnati Bearcats (17-2, 6-0 AAC) put their 10-game winning streak on the line when they challenge the Temple Owls (10-9, 2-5 AAC) at BB&T Arena. The game can be seen on CBS Sports Network at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 24, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 126 points with Cincinnati set as a 14-point favorite.
Temple Owls vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Free Prediction
The Owls come in on a high note after beating the Penn Quakers in their last contest, 60-51. Temple’s 0.216 free throw rate was their largest strength over Penn, who had a mark of 0.150. The Owls’ mark was above their season average of 0.161, while the Quakers’ was below their season average of 0.209. Temple received a boost from Obi Enechionyia, who was the top scorer from either team with 15 points on 4-for-9 shooting.
The last time the Bearcats played, they dismantled the East Carolina Pirates, 86-60. The Bearcats had an extraordinarily low turnover percentage of 7.8 (better than their season average of 15.5), while the Pirates had a free throw rate of 0.102 (below their season average of 0.223). With 14 points and 14 rebounds, Cincinnati’s Gary Clark played well.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the nation’s slowest-paced teams go head-to-head. Cincinnati currently ranks 278th in possessions per game (67.9) and Temple is 317th (66.5). Moreover, the Owls commit the 54th-fewest errors in the nation (turnover percentage of 16.9 percent), while the disruptive defense of the Bearcats causes the 10th-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 24.1 percent).
Temple heads into the game with records of 10-9 straight up (SU) and 9-10 against the spread (ATS). A little over half of the Owls’ games have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati is 17-2 SU and 9-7 ATS. Vegas has a tendency to set the total high when the Bearcats are involved, as 60.0 percent of their games have gone under the total.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Kyle Washington scored a game-high 18 points and the Bearcats beat the Owls 55-53 but were unable to cover as 7.5-point favorites. He also had six rebounds. The game finished with a total of 108 points, which was 29 points below the projected point total of 137 points. The Bearcats had a better free throw rate (0.235 vs. 0.196) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (48.6 vs. 42.5).
Temple Owls at Cincinnati Bearcats Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Cincinnati, ATS Winner – Cincinnati, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Temple is 7-4 ATS with 6 unders and 5 overs.
At home, Cincinnati is 4-3 ATS with 4 overs and 2 unders.
Cincinnati ranks 23rd in rebounds allowed per game (30.9) while Temple ranks 224th (37.6).
The Bearcats rank 28th in assists per game (16.9) while the Owls rank 203rd (12.2).
Cincinnati ranks 13th in blocks per game (5.7) while Temple ranks 98th (3.5).
The Bearcats rank 20th in steals per game (8.2) while the Owls rank 79th (6.8).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Temple is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Cincinnati is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Owls’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 2.4, up from 0.8 for the season.
During their last five games, the Bearcats have scored an average of 68.8 points per game (8.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 52.4 points per game (5.0 below their season average).
