The La Salle Explorers (5-10) and Temple Owls (9-7) will face off at Palestra for this game. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Jan. 20 and can be seen on CCS.
The Explorers are hoping to rebound after their 73-62 loss to Rhode Island on Saturday. Jordan Price was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points. The Owls, meanwhile, are coming off a 67-65 win against Cincinnati on Saturday. Quenton DeCosey led the game in scoring by registering 22 points on 9-for-20 shooting.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the nation’s slowest-paced teams square off. La Salle ranks 283rd in possessions per game (67.3), while Temple is 304th (66.5).
Temple takes on La Salle as a nine-point favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 132 points. The Explorers have gone 5-10 Straight Up (SU) and 4-8 Against The Spread (ATS). La Salle’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 6.0 three-pointers per game.
As for their opponent, the Owls have records of 9-5 ATS and 9-7 SU. The Owls are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 41st in Division I at 1.35. The Temple defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only 5.0 field goals from three-point range per game.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between these two. Their previous game was an Owls victory, bumping their SU record over their most recent meetings to 9-1. The Owls also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Temple, ATS Winner – Temple, O/U – Over
Notes
La Salle is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Temple.
Temple won its last game by a two-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, La Salle is 1-0. Temple is 2-2 in close games this season.
Temple has an average field goal percentage of 39.8%. La Salle is a subpar 2-8 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The La Salle Explorers and the Temple Owls both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. La Salle is 289th and 235th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Temple is 326th and 320th in these categories.
Temple ranks 41st in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.35. La Salle is ranked lower at 242nd with an A/TO of .95.
The La Salle Explorers make an average of 7.7 steals per game. When the Temple Owls allow 7 or more steals, they are a winning 2-1.
