Temple Owls vs SMU Mustangs Betting Pick & Prediction 1/16/24
Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Owls versus the Mustangs? Tip off is at at 8:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Moody Coliseum in Dallas, TX. The over/under for this American Athletic conference contest is set at 138.5 points, with the Mustangs being the favored team playing at home against the Owls.
TEMPLE OWLS VS SMU MUSTANGS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Temple Owls +13.5
This game will be played at Moody Coliseum at 8:00 ET on Tuesday, January 16th.
WHY BET THE TEMPLE OWLS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 74-68 in favor of the Mustangs.
- Even though we have SMU winning straight-up, we like Temple at +13.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 138.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 142 points.
Are Temple Ready for a Road Win?
After losing their last game to North Texas by a score of 69-51, Temple is 8-9 overall and 1-3 in the American Athletic Conference. They are currently on a two-game losing streak and have gone 2-6 as the underdog this season. On the road, the Owls have gone 3-4, and they have lost two straight road games.
So far, Temple has played 17 games, going 7-6 in non-conference action compared to 1-3 in conference play. As the underdog, they have gone 2-6, while they are 5-3 when favored. This season, their average scoring margin on the road is -5.7, and they are 4-5 at home compared to 3-4 on the road.
When looking at Temple’s ATS record this season, they are currently 6-10. On the road, their ATS record is 2-5 and over their last 10 road games, they have gone 4-6 vs. the spread. As the underdog, the Owls have gone 3-5 vs. the spread this season and their ATS record as the underdog over their last 10 games is 4-6.
This season, Temple’s over/under record is 6-9-1, and the average scoring total in their games is 143.8. Today’s over/under line of 138.5 is lower than the average OU line in their games (142) and there have been more games with more points (10) than today’s OU line. In their last three games, the average scoring total is 127 points, and their over/under record in their last 10 games is 1-7-1.
Temple offense recently wrapped up a game with a total of 51 points against North Texas. In that game, they made 4/18 three-point attempts and achieved a field goal percentage of 30.8%. Hysier Miller is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 16.3 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, Jordan Riley brings a PPG average of 11.9 into the game.
Currently, the Owls’ defense holds the 175th rank in the nation, allowing 72.4 points per game. Temple’s three-point defense is currently 139th in the country at 7.3 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 42.3% of their shots vs. Temple.
Can SMU Lock in a Home Win?
SMU has been dominant at home this season, going 6-2 with an average scoring margin of +17.1 points per game. They have won three straight games at home, and their overall record is 11-5.
So far, the Mustangs have been favored in 10 of their 16 games, going 9-1 in those contests. They are coming off a 75-64 win over East Carolina and have a 2-1 record in American Athletic Conference games.
As the favorite this season, SMU has gone 7-3 vs. the spread. At home, their ATS mark sits at 4-4. Over their last three home games, the Mustangs are 3-0 ATS, and their ATS record as the favorite over their last 10 games is 7-3.
SMU’s over/under record for the season sits at 4-11. Their games have averaged 135.8 points compared to an average over/under line of 142.5, resulting in an average margin of -6.7 points. This year, 8 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line of 138.5. Over their last three games, their over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 126 points.
Coming off their recent game, the SMU offense tallied 75 points in a matchup against East Carolina. Their field goal percentage for the game was 43.5%, and they made 9 threes. In terms of offense, the Mustangs have a season-long field goal percentage of 45%, putting them 160th in the NCAA. Regarding three-pointers, they are ranked 197th in percentage and 213rd in three-pointers made.
So far this season, the SMU defense has been performing well, ranking 9th in the country at 61.8 points allowed per contest. SMU will look once again to perform well on defense, holding East Carolina to just 37% shooting in their most recent game.