Houston Vs Temple Betting Odds: Power Up The Beats

The Houston Cougars and Temple Owls are set to face off in an American Athletic Conference battle on Sunday. The Cougars are favored by 11.5 points in the latest Houston vs Temple betting odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the Over/Under is set at 131.5.

The Cougars have been the best team in the country this season, and they haven’t dropped a single game. They are also the top-ranked scoring defense, giving up just 53.3 points per game this season.

No. 1 Houston Cougars

The Houston Cougars have reached the top of the NCAA rankings for the first time since the Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler-led Phi Slama Jama team finished the 1982-83 season with the top spot. The current group of Houston players led by Marcus Sasser and Jarace Walker are putting their names in the record books, too.

With the Cougars’ top-ranked status secured for Thursday’s NCAA Tournament opener against Northern Kentucky, Sampson and his staff are turning their attention to developing young talent, especially in the backcourt. The Cougars have a talented group of freshmen that will have to learn to adapt to the rigors of UH basketball, and the coaching staff will need to find ways to get them the necessary minutes to succeed.

One of the most impressive things about this year’s Houston Cougars is their depth. They enter Thursday’s game with nine players who average double-digit minutes, including Nick Jourdain, who posted his first double-double of the season against Memphis.

Temple also has an experienced squad. The Owls have won four of their last five games, capped by Sunday’s 55-56 victory over Houston in the Fertitta Center. They’ve scored a combined 768 points in those four wins, and they shot 51.7 percent from the floor.

In fact, the only other team to beat them this season is the SMU Tigers on the road. The Cougars won’t face a top-five opponent in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but they do have two of the best teams in the country in Alabama and Tennessee, which they beat last week.

No. 2 Temple Owls

Temple is riding a four-game winning streak and will look to continue the strong play when they host the Houston Cougars in an American Athletic Conference game on Sunday. This matchup is the second of two between these teams, and both of them are likely to be close affairs.

The Owls will be looking for avenge their one-point loss to Houston last month and will try to make it two in a row as they hope to get back into the top spot in the AAC. The Cougars are -19.5 favorites and will be looking to win this game, but it may not be easy for them against an improved Temple team.

Against Houston, the Owls will need to score the ball inside and on the perimeter while keeping their opponent off the offensive glass. This will be important as the Cougars rank 82nd in field goal defense and 44th in three-point defense.

This will be a low-scoring affair that will be decided by shooting percentage. The Owls will need to shoot better than 35 percent from the floor, including a minimum of 75 percent from the free throw line.

They will also need to be more aggressive in the paint, as Houston is averaging 78.5 points on the offensive end and will be attempting 58 shots per game this season. It will be crucial to avoid a shootout this time around as Houston is the defending American Athletic Conference champs and are in the top three in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

The Cougars will have to be careful not to let the Owls steal the spotlight this time around as they have a lot to prove this season. The Cougars will be trying to win their fifth straight and will have to find a way to score against an improved Temple defense that has allowed opponents to shoot 60.3% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range this season.

Over/Under

The Over/Under is a popular college sports betting option that offers more than just the final score of the game. It can also be based on factors such as time-outs, total points scored and even how many times a particular player throws a pass.

The Houston Cougars are one of the top teams in the country and have been winning consistently this season. Their loss to Temple in January was a huge blow to their hopes of winning the AAC title and advancing deep into the tournament, but they have been able to turn things around since then. They defeated UCF and Cincinnati in their last two games to move back into the top spot in the AAC and look to make it three straight against the Owls.

Houston has been a very efficient team this season and has a solid defense that ranks third in the nation. They have a strong bench and are capable of playing a great game on both ends of the floor. They’ve won all three of their games since losing to Temple, including a 70-61 victory over Wichita State on Thursday.

They’ve also shot a very good percentage from 3-point range as well, ranking eighth in the country. They’ll have to make some adjustments after being held to 19-56 shooting in their last game against the Owls, but I believe they’ll be able to find the right balance in this one.

It’s no secret that Houston is a powerhouse team and they will be favored by a significant margin in this game. However, this matchup with the Temple Owls is something that’s going to be a close one. This is a big revenge game for the Cougars and they’re going to want to play as tight as possible in order to keep Temple from pulling off another upset.

Spread

After losing its first game of the season, Houston seeks to avenge that loss against Temple in their rematch Sunday. Kelvin Sampson’s team was -19.5 favorites in the first matchup but got shut out on offense.

Temple is on a four-game winning streak and sits in second place in the American Athletic Conference standings, just one game behind leader Houston. This is the kind of win that will help them secure a spot in the conference championship game.

The Owls shook the college basketball world two weeks ago with their stunning road upset of No. 1 Houston, but that was the one-game that they didn’t earn their spot in the top 10. They are still in good shape, but this is a chance to put that win to rest and get back to business with a victory against their rivals in the city of Philadelphia.

In addition to Marcus Sasser, who scored 19 points in that first matchup, the Owls have a lot of depth on the roster and should be able to keep this one close despite the Cougars’ hot start. Khalif Battle has been especially hot lately, scoring 20 points in the win against East Carolina. Jeremiah Williams is also playing well with 4.1 assists and Jahlil White has been a force on the interior with six rebounds per game.

On the other hand, Houston’s defense has been atrocious of late. They’ve allowed a whopping 19-56 points in their last three games, so they have some work to do to avoid another upset.

Those are the kind of numbers that will make it tough for Houston to score enough to keep this game under the total. That’s why our college basketball picks are calling for a low-scoring affair between these teams.