In their final home game of the season, the Connecticut Huskies (13-16, 6-10 AAC) host the Temple Owls (16-12, 8-8 AAC) at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. The game will air on CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.
Temple is a 2.5-point favorite on the opening line, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 142 points.
Temple Owls vs. Connecticut Huskies Betting Prediction
The Owls will be looking for a similar result after dismantling the UCF Knights in their last contest, 75-56. Temple’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest strength over UCF. The Owls had a rate of 0.588 (above their season average of 0.493), while the Knights posted a mark of 0.378 (below their season average of 0.484). With 19 points on 7-for-14 shooting, Quinton Rose was the game’s leading scorer.
In the Huskies’ last game, they fell to the Memphis Tigers, 83-79. Memphis’ offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest strength over Connecticut. The Tigers had a rate of 48.3 (above their season average of 35.9), while the Huskies posted a mark of 35.7. With 25 points on 9-for-18 shooting, Jalen Adams was the game’s leading scorer.
Half-court execution will be critical when a pair of the nation’s slowest-paced teams square off. Connecticut ranks 286th in possessions per game (67.2) and Temple is 278th (67.4).
Temple heads into the contest with records of 16-12 straight up (SU) and 16-12 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when setting the total of Owls games, with 15 overs compared to 13 unders.
Meanwhile, Connecticut is 13-16 SU and 8-18 ATS. Vegas has a tendency to set the total low when the Huskies are involved, as 56.0 percent of their games have gone over the total.
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Rose (16.8 points and 1.4 steals) has been stellar for the Owls while Christian Vital (17.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals) has made solid contributions to the Huskies.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Shizz Alston Jr. scored a game-high 18 points and the Owls defeated the Huskies 85-57, covering as 6-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 142 points, which was 12.5 points above the projected point total of 129.5 points. The Owls had a much better turnover percentage (6.5 vs. 21.9) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.571 vs. 0.441).
Temple Owls at Connecticut Huskies ATS Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Temple, ATS Winner – Temple, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Temple is 10-5 ATS on the road with 8 unders and 7 overs.
At home, Connecticut is 4-8 ATS with 6 overs and 5 unders.
Temple ranks 101st in three pointers attempted per game (23.4) while Connecticut ranks 252nd in three pointers allowed per game (24.6).
The Owls rank 183rd in assists per game (12.9) while the Huskies rank 277th (10.3).
Connecticut averages 34.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 194th in the NCAA. Temple ranks 269th in rebounds allowed per game (38.1).
The Huskies rank 23rd in steals allowed per game (5.0) while the Owls rank 42nd (5.3).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Temple is 4-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Connecticut is 0-5 ATS with 4 overs and 1 push over their last five games.
The Owls’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.2, up from 0.5 for the season.
During their last five games, the Huskies have scored an average of 72.0 points per game (4.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 81.6 points per game (8.7 above their season average).
