Temple vs. Cincinnati Pick
Can Temple handle being a road favorite tonight when it takes on Cincinnati tonight at 7PM ET? Here’s our pick for this game.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Temple is favored on the road, as the Owls are getting odds of -2.5 points against Cincinnati. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 48 points. Temple has won the last two meetings with Cincinnati and the Owls have covered the spread in three of the last four in this series. The public is currently putting 81 percent of the wagers on Temple on the road. Tonights’s game takes place from Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The contest will air live on ESPN2.
Cincinnati is coming off a 17-16 win at Tulane last week to snap a five-game losing streak. The Bearcats are 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the AAC. They are also 4-5 against the spread this season, but have covered in their last two games. Cincinnati has struggled on offense this season, averaging 20.6 points and 350.6 yards per game. Hayden Moore has thrown for 1,959 yards and 13 touchdowns this year and also has seven INT. Gerrid Doaks has 500 yards rushing with two TD while Kahlil Lewis has 48 catches for 444 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively, Cincy is allowing 30.9 points and 409.6 yards per game. Their run defense is allowing 201.6 yards per contest.
Temple is coming off its biggest win of the season, beating Navy 34-26 at home last week. The Owls are now 5-4 overall and 2-3 in conference play. The Owls are just 4-5 against the spread on the season, but have covered in four of their last five games. Temple hasn’t had a great deal of success on offense this year, averaging 22.3 points and 374.9 yards per game. Logan Marchi has been dealing with an injury that has him questionable to play on Friday. He has 1,658 passing yards with nine TD and eight INT. Ryquell Armstead is the leading rusher with 454 yards and three touchdowns while Isaiah Wright has 33 receptions and 502 yards with three touchdowns. Defensively, Temple is giving up 26.8 points and 393.8 yards per game.
Temple comes in with plenty of momentum for tonight’s game, which should help their efforts on the road. Temple has covered the spread in six straight games in November and 8 of their last 11 on the road. They also have covered in 21 of their last 27 conference games. Cincinnati is just 2-11 ATS in their last 13 home games as well. Temple has found its stride in recent games while the Bearcats are still searching for their identity. Take Temple minus the small spread.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: TEMPLE -2.5