The Temple Owls (10-2) will be at CFE Federal Credit Union Arena to meet the UCF Knights (10-2) in an AAC matchup. Action begins at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 2, 2019, and can be seen on ESPNews.
Temple Owls vs. UCF Knights Betting Odds
Both teams were victorious over their last opponent. The Knights defeated the Rider Broncs 84-70, while the Owls beat the La Salle Explorers 75-67.
Temple dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 39.5 and a free throw rate of 0.456. La Salle was 12.5 and 0.242, respectively, for those same stats. The Knights, meanwhile, had a much better free throw rate (0.424 vs. 0.130) and had a much better turnover percentage (12.2 vs. 17.6). Collin Smith played a pivotal role for UCF with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, Nate Pierre-Louis played well for Temple, contributing 14 points and 13 rebounds.
This was a highly competitive series last year. Each won one of the two games played against each other last season. The Owls won the most recent game 75-56. Temple’s effective field goal percentage was its biggest advantage over UCF. The Owls had a rate of 0.588 while the Knights posted a mark of 0.378. This will be the first game of the year between these two teams.
The Owls’ Pierre-Louis has been playing well over his last five games, averaging 0 points per game. Meanwhile, Aubrey Dawkins has averaged 0 points during that same time frame for the Knights.
UCF could dominate on the defensive side of the ball as they battle against one of the country’s worst offenses. The Knights currently rank 18th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.438), while Temple is 254th in effective field goal percentage (0.495). Ball protection should be an advantage for the Owls. They rank 13th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 15.4 percent), while the Knights force the 76th-fewest turnovers in the nation (opponents’ turnover percentage of 17.5 percent).
Temple Owls at UCF Knights ATS Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Ucf, ATS Winner – Temple, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Temple ranks 12th in steals per game (9.2) while UCF ranks 164th (5.3).
- The Owls rank 48th in assists allowed per game (11.4) while the Knights rank 85th (12.5).
- Temple averages 22.8 three pointers per game, which ranks 133rd in the NCAA. UCF ranks 146th in three pointers allowed per game (22.9).
- The Knights rank 14th in blocks per game (5.6) while the Owls rank 164th (2.2).
- UCF ranks 28th in rebounds per game (40.5) while Temple ranks 168th (35.3).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Knights have scored an average of 77.2 points per game (0.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 64.2 points per game (1.2 above their season average).
- The Owls’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.2, up from 6.2 for the season.
