Tulsa vs Temple Odds, Picks and Predictions: The Owls Are What They Seem

Tulsa rolls into Philadelphia to battle Temple in Friday Night Lights action for Week 8.

The Golden Hurricane got off to a strong start in 2022 by going 2-1, with the lone loss coming in OT. They’ve since faltered, losing three straight.

It’s been another rough year for Temple, whose lone FBS win came against floundering UMass. 

Check out our free college football betting picks and predictions for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and Temple Owls on Friday, October 21 to see which team should pull away with a much-needed win.

Tulsa vs Temple best odds

Tulsa vs Temple picks and predictions

This figures to be a competitive game because both teams are seeking their first AAC win.

These teams have played six times in the past with each side holding a 3-3 record. Most recently, Tulsa grabbed a 27-0 halftime lead last year and went on to a comfortable 44-10 win.

The main culprit for Temple’s futility has been a lifeless offense averaging just 14.7 points per game, which ranks 127th nationally. The only time it's gained over 300 total yards in FBS play came against a bad UMass team, which happens to be its lone win against a non-FCS team. 

Freshman quarterback EJ Warner — AKA Kurt Warner’s son — gives this team hope for the future, but at the end of the day, he’s a freshman quarterback completing just 56.2% of his passes for 6.8 yards per attempt while tossing as many touchdowns as interceptions (6). The rushing attack has been utterly devoid of life, managing just 79.7 yards per game on 2.6 yards per carry. Both marks rank 128th in the country.

The Owls rank 125th in success rate and will rely on explosive plays in the passing game, which may be hard to come by against a Tulsa defense that ranks 56th in passing explosiveness.

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane, meanwhile, have lost three straight games and could be undervalued in this spot coming off a bye week. One of those losses came by one score to Mississippi and another by 10 points to Cincinnati, so it’s hard to fault them there. Week 6’s collapse at Navy was concerning, but that was the second straight year they’ve fallen victim to the triple option, which can be difficult to factor into handicapping. 

Temple’s lifeless offense should have trouble keeping pace with Davis Brin and Tulsa's offense. The Owls surrendered 737 total yards on 10.7 yards per play in a 70-13 loss to UCF in their last game, and now they face a hungry Tulsa team coming off a bye week.

My best bet: Tulsa -13 (-105 at FanDuel)

Tulsa vs Temple spread analysis

Tulsa opened at -12.5 but has moved to either -13 or -13.5 at the time of this writing, depending on the book.

The Golden Hurricane are 2-3-1 against the spread this season, including a 2-1-1 mark in their last four games. They’ll look to break a streak on the road in which they have an 0-3 straight-up record and are 1-2 ATS. 

Temple has actually been a covering machine at home, going 3-0 ATS. It’s worth pointing out that those games came against Lafayette, UMass, and Rutgers — an FBS school, one of the worst teams in the country, and Rutgers. Tulsa will bring way more offensive firepower to the table than any of those teams, as they rank 17th in explosiveness offensively. 

Brin has been superb for Tulsa, throwing for 1,839 yards and 14 touchdowns to only five interceptions. He’s averaging a robust 9.2 yards per attempt while throwing to a veteran receiving corps led by Keylon Stokes (765 yards, four touchdowns) and J.C. Santana (480 yards, four touchdowns). That veteran passing attack should allow the Hurricane to travel well for a team that is 35-16 ATS in its last 51 road games. 

Despite the impressive ATS record this season at home, the Owls have typically not defended Lincoln Financial Field, going 4-9 ATS in their last 13 home games. They are just 3-14 ATS in their last 17 conference games as the AAC’s doormat.

Tulsa vs Temple Over/Under analysis

The total is set at 52.5 for this matchup. 

Both teams fell apart defensively in their last game. Tulsa fell victim to a Navy triple-option attack that had been lifeless before that game. The Midshipmen racked up 53 points on 490 total yards of offense and 455 rushing yards, their most in a game since 2018.

Temple, meanwhile, lost 70-13 last Thursday to UCF. The Owls had been defensively stout before that game, limiting opponents to 3.7 yards or fewer per play in four straight games. The Knights had other ideas, racking up 737 total yards on 10.7 yards per play. That’s a dangerous UCF offense, but it was concerning how it got whatever it wanted either through the air (433 passing yards, four touchdowns) or on the ground (304 rushing yards, six touchdowns).

Temple’s defensive numbers are still good when eliminating garbage time, as the Owls rank 19th in predicted points added per play (PPA) and sixth in explosiveness. 

Tulsa’s defense has struggled, surrendering at least 5.7 yards per play in every game this year against FBS teams. The primary cause has been a leaky rush defense that ranks 120th in rushing PPA and 101st in rushing success rate, but that should be a concern for a woeful Owls ground game that ranks 130th in rushing success rate and 129th in rushing explosiveness.

Tulsa vs Temple betting trend to know

Temple is 3-14 ATS in its last 17 conference games. Find more NCAA betting trends for Tulsa vs. Temple.

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