The Temple Owls (10-3, 0-1 AAC) will be at Charles Koch Arena to challenge the Wichita State Shockers (7-6, 0-1 AAC) in an AAC matchup. Action gets underway at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 6, 2019, and can be seen on ESPNews.
Temple Owls vs. Wichita State Shockers ATS Odds
In their last game, the Shockers were beaten by the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, 71-58, while the Owls defeated the La Salle Explorers, 75-67.
Temple played a nearly perfect game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 39.5 and a free throw rate of 0.456. For those same stats, La Salle had marks of 12.5 and 0.242, respectively. Wichita State, on the other hand, had a better turnover percentage (18.6 vs. 21.7). Wichita State rallied around Erik Stevenson, who had 16 points. Nate Pierre-Louis fueled Temple with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
The Shockers took this series last year, taking two out of three contests. In the last matchup, Wichita State won 89-81. Wichita State won the rebounding battle. The Shockers had 10 offensive rebounds and 35 total rebounds, while the Owls had three and 24, respectively. This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams.
Pierre-Louis has been playing at a high level recently for Temple, averaging 0 points over the last five games.
It could be a mistake-prone game for the Wichita State offense. Wichita State ranks 170th in the NCAA in ball protection (turnover percentage of 18.7 percent), while the pesky defense of Temple forces the 53rd-most turnovers in the nation (22.4 percent).
Temple Owls vs. Wichita State Shockers ATS Pick
Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Temple, ATS Winner – Temple, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Temple ranks 11th in steals per game (9.4) while Wichita State ranks 163rd (5.4).
- The Shockers rank 92nd in rebounds per game (37.5) while the Owls rank 114th in rebounds allowed per game (34.4).
- The Owls rank 44th in three pointers allowed per game (19.9) while the Shockers rank 101st (21.7).
- Temple is 17th in the country with 2.2 blocks allowed per game while Wichita State is 46th with 2.8 blocks allowed per game.
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Shockers have scored an average of 72.4 points per game (2.0 above their season average) and allowed an average of 74.8 points per game (4.0 above their season average).
- The Owls’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.2, up from 5.3 for the season.
