Temple vs Houston Odds, Picks and Predictions: Owls Hunted on Sunday

The No. 1 Houston Cougars (18-1) look for their 10th win in a row as they host the Temple Owls (11-9) in AAC play on Sunday afternoon.

Kelvin Sampson’s team has a chance to be atop the AP Poll for quite a while if they take care of business. Another opportunity to display its dominance for the masses awaits Sunday against a Temple team that hasn’t made much of a mark yet in the 2022-23 season. 

Will the Cougars continue to reign supreme, or will the Owls lay a trap?

Check out our college basketball picks and predictions for Temple vs. Houston on Sunday, January 22 to find out. 

Temple vs Houston best odds

Temple vs Houston picks and predictions

Let’s start this handicap by acknowledging both teams have been tremendously successful against the spread so far this season. Temple sits at 12-7-1 ATS and has been on a hot streak, covering six of its last seven games. Houston has been dominant at 13-6 ATS and has covered three of its last four. 

Both teams have also tended to play toward the Under, as Temple is 11-8-1 and Houston is 11-7-1. While the betting profiles may be similar, there is a significant gap between the two different products on the court. 

Houston ranks first overall in KenPom as well as the AP Poll. The Cougars are elite on both sides of the ball, ranking eighth in adjusted offensive efficiency while averaging 76.2 ppg and checking in at second in adjusted defensive efficiency, surrendering just 53.3 ppg. No other team allows fewer points per game than Houston. It throttles opposing offenses, ranking second in both field goal defense (34.3%) and 3-point defense (24.9%).

Temple will have a mighty difficult time generating offense against such a superb defensive group. The Owls rank just 238th in scoring offense while mustering 69.3 ppg. Aaron McKie’s team is far from good at shooting, converting on just 42.2% of its field goal attempts (302nd) and 31.3% of shots from downtown (309th). 

The Owls have been a model of inefficiency when they have the ball, as three of their top five players in terms of shots per game shoot below 40% from the field. Khalif Battle converts 39.9% of his team-leading 14.7 field goal attempts per game, while Zach Hicks makes just 33.9% of his 8.3 attempts, and Hysier Miller is shooting 35.8% on 7.6 attempts.

This game should be played at a very slow pace and possessions will be limited. Temple checks in at just 259th in KenPom’s adjusted temp metric, while Houston is near the bottom of the country at 344th. 

Temple will find it difficult to score, while Houston has scored at least 80 points in three of its last four AAC games. Give me the Cougars to cover. 

My best bet: Houston -19.5 (-110 at FanDuel)

Temple vs Houston spread analysis

The spread ranges from Houston -19.5 to -20.5, depending on the book, at the time of this writing.

The Cougars have been on an unparalleled run against the spread, going 38-18 ATS in their last 56 games overall. They’ve been dominant at the Fertitta Center, covering 38 of their last 52 home games. 

Marcus Sasser leads the way with 16.9 ppg and is the clear go-to scorer. Guards Tramon Mark (10.3 ppg) and Jamal Shead (8.5 ppg, team-leading 5.2 assists per game) round out one of the nation’s best backcourts. The frontcourt is led by the two-headed monster of J’Wan Roberts and Jarace Walker, both of whom contribute in multiple areas and provide both effort and intensity in droves. 

The Owls last found a win against a ranked opponent on January 15, 2020. Finding another on Sunday is highly unlikely, as Houston has the advantage in every forecastable area and will be playing at home. Houston will be favored in the remainder of their games and hopes to win out in order to secure the No. 1 ranking until the end of the regular season. While there’s still a lot of basketball left to be played, Sunday’s meeting with Temple does not stand out as overtly difficult. 

Temple vs Houston Over/Under analysis

The total is set at 130.5 for this game between two teams trending heavily toward the Under.

Temple is 38-18 to the Under in its last 56 road games against a team with a winning record. Considering the Cougars are 11-1 at home this season, they certainly fit that trend. 

Houston tends to play low-scoring games when facing difficult competition while showcasing its offense against overmatched foes. Temple qualifies as an overmatched foe, although the Owls are at least decent defensviley. They allow 68.3 ppg while ranking 113th in field goal defense (42.0%) and 45th in 3-point defense (30.2%). 

Temple has been playing decent basketball of late, winning five of its last seven games. While I’m not sold on the Owls’ ability to make this game too close, their strong performance in recent matchups leads me to believe that they won’t completely roll over and lay an egg — which I believe would be required to reach such a low total. 

Houston should find offensive success as it tends to do against AAC competition, which alone keeps me away from playing the Under at such a low number. Both teams have trended heavily to the Under this season and therefore a look at the Over is not something worth entertaining. In short, I’m sitting this total out.

Temple vs Houston betting trend to know

Houston is 38-18 ATS in its last 56 games overall. Find more College basketball betting trends for Temple vs. Temple.

Temple vs Houston game info

Temple vs Houston key injuries

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