Davidson Wildcats vs Temple Owls NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/18/24

Betting on today’s Wildcats and Owls game? Catch the action at Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA, as the Owls hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 148.5 points, and Temple is favored by -2.5 at home against Davidson.

DAVIDSON WILDCATS VS TEMPLE OWLS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Temple Owls -2.5

This game will be played at Liacouras Center at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, December 18th.

WHY BET THE TEMPLE OWLS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-68 in favor of the Owls.
• Not only will Temple pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 148.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.

Can the Wildcats Pull Off a Road Win?

Davidson improved to 7-2 on the season with a dominant 86-51 win over Detroit on Saturday. The Wildcats were -16 point favorites heading into the game and covered the spread with ease. The total points for the game ended at 137, just under the O/U line of 144.

Davidson jumped out to a 43-16 lead at halftime and matched that output in the 2nd half, scoring another 43 points. They allowed 35 points in the 2nd half, but the game was already well in hand by then.

Davidson put up 86 points in their last game, shooting 49.2% from the field and hitting 44.1% from beyond the arc, connecting on 15 threes. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 62.3%, and they shot 78.6% from the free-throw line.

Bobby Durkin led the way with 19 points, hitting 4 of 6 from three-point range. Reed Bailey, Connor Kochera, and Legend Geeter each added 17 points, with Geeter knocking down 5 threes at a 62.5% clip.

Davidson’s defense gave up 51 points, allowing the opposition to shoot 49% from the field, including 55% on two-point attempts (15/27). The Wildcats also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 14 times, where they converted 11 free throws at a 78% rate.

From beyond the arc, Davidson’s defense allowed 15 threes on 34 attempts, a 44% shooting performance. The Wildcats also gave up 13 offensive rebounds in the game.

Can Temple Pull Out the Win as Home Favorites?

Temple moved to 5-4 on the season with a 60-42 win over Hofstra on Sunday. The Owls, who were +4 underdogs going into the game, not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.

Temple took control early, leading 33-20 at halftime, and maintained their defensive intensity in the 2nd half, allowing just 22 points while scoring 27. The combined points of 102 fell well short of the 141.5 O/U line.

Temple’s offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 31.2% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc, resulting in only 60 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 34.4%, and they managed just 8 assists as a team.

Jean Aranguren led the way with 16 points and 14 rebounds, despite shooting 26.7% overall and 16.7% from three. Jamal Mashburn Jr. added 12 points, hitting 4 of 14 shots and missing all 3 of his three-point attempts.

Temple’s defense was dominant, holding their opponent to just 42 points on 25% shooting from the field. They limited two-point attempts to 9/27, a 33% success rate.

From beyond the arc, Temple’s defense was equally effective, with their opponent hitting only 5 of 29 threes, or 17%. They also sent them to the line 15 times, where they made 9 free throws, shooting 60%.