It will be a battle between AAC opponents when the East Carolina Pirates (8-8, 1-3 AAC) welcome the Temple Owls (13-3, 3-1 AAC) to Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. The game will air on ESPN 3 at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 16, 2019.
Temple Owls vs. East Carolina Pirates ATS Prediction
The Owls will be hoping for a similar result after barely hanging on to beat the South Florida Bulls in their last matchup, 82-80. Temple was successful at getting to and converting from the free throw line. The Owls made 23 of their 28 free throws (82.1 percent), while the Bulls were just 10-25 (40.0 percent). Temple was lifted by J.P. Moorman II, who finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
In the Pirates’ last game, they were beaten by the UCF Knights, 76-65. Getting to the free throw line was one of UCF’s biggest advantages. They made 41 trips to the line, while East Carolina went just 24 times. East Carolina’s Jayden Gardner put together a solid performance, leading both teams in scoring with 35 points on 12-for-21 shooting.
It might be a mistake-prone game for the East Carolina offense. East Carolina ranks 315th in the nation in ball protection (turnover percentage of 22.0 percent), while the gambling defense of Temple forces the 56th-most turnovers in the nation (22.3 percent).
After the Owls won the only contest against the Pirates last season, 90-73, these teams will battle for the first time this year. The Owls made 20 of their 26 free throws (76.9 percent) and had a much better turnover percentage (5.9 vs. 12.4).
Temple Owls vs. East Carolina Pirates Pick
Basketball Tip: SU Winner – Temple, ATS Winner – Temple, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Temple ranks 18th in blocks allowed per game (2.3) while East Carolina ranks 122nd (3.9).
Bettings Trends:
The Owls’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 4.6, down from 4.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Pirates have scored an average of 68.2 points per game (1.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 72.8 points per game (3.4 above their season average).
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