Temple vs. Cincinnati Pick
Will No. 9 Cincinnati pick up another lopsided win at home when the Bearcats host Temple at 9PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Cincinnati is the clear favorite at home, as the Bearcats are getting odds of -13.5 points against Temple. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 127.5 points. Tonight’s game will take place from BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, Kentucky and air live on the CBS Sports Network.
Cincinnati is riding a 10-game win streak right now following an 86-60 victory over ECU this past weekend. The Bearcats are 17-2 overall, 6-0 in the AAC and 8-7-1 against the spread. Cincinnati is putting up 77.7 points per game this season while allowing just 57.4 per game. Jacob Evans is leading Cincinnati with 13.9 points per game while Gary Clark is adding 12.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest.
Temple has won its last two games and three of its last four coming into tonight’s contest. The Owls are 10-9 overall, 2-5 in the AAC and 8-10-1 against the spread. Temple is averaging 67.9 points per game on offense while giving up 68.7 per contest on defense. Quinton Rose is putting up 14.4 points per game to lead Temple this season while Obi Enechionyia is adding 11.7 points and 7 rebounds per contest.
Cincinnati has won three straight meetings with Temple, but the Owls are 5-0-1 against the spread in the last six encounters. That includes a 55-53 win for Cincinnati on Jan. 4 where Temple was a 7.5-point home underdog. The Owls have actually covered in their last two road games as well, winning one outright as a 10.5-point dog. While Cincinnati has been winning, covering hasn’t always been the case. In a game of two good defensive teams, I feel like 13.5 points is a lot to cover. The public betting is behind Cincinnati tonight, but I am going to take my chances on Temple with the points.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: TEMPLE +13.5