The Temple Owls (1-0, 0-0 AAC) visit the Houston Cougars (5-0, 0-0) Tuesday for an 8 p.m. tip at the Fertitta Center in Houston. Below, we analyze the Temple-Houston college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Temple at Houston: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:15 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Temple +1100 (bet $100 to win $1,100) | Houston -2500 (bet $2,500 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Temple +16 (+100) | Houston -16 (-120)
- Over/Under: 134.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Temple at Houston: Three things to know
- Temple has just one game under its belt, a 72-60 win over NJIT on Dec. 19, covering a 10-point number. Houston has won each of its first five games, but they have covered just three times. Two of the covers were impressive victories over Texas Tech and South Carolina.
- The Cougars have managed 77.2 points per game, which is rather middling, but it’s their defense which has been most impressive. They’re allowing just 55.6 PPG, ranking eighth in the country, and they’re fourth in 3-pointer defense, allowing opponents to hit just 20.5 percent from behind the arc.
- This is the AAC conference opener for both sides. In the past 10 meetings, the road team has hit against the spread eight times. However, Temple is 2-6 ATS in the past eight road games against teams with a winning home mark.
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Temple at Houston: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Houston 76, Temple 63
Money line (ML)
Houston (-2500) has plenty of games under their belt, and that will make a difference in this one. But you cannot back a team that costs $100 for every $4 won. That’s just not a good long-term gambling model. It’s amateurish. AVOID.
Against the spread (ATS)
TEMPLE +16 (+100) isn’t going to win this game, but the Owls looked pretty good in their opener over the Highlanders. Facing an experienced Houston side with four more games of experience this season is a tall order, but 16 points is a bit much. Take the points in this conference opener for both.
Over/Under (O/U)
The OVER 134.5 (-115) is the lean here. After three straight Under results to start, the Over has cashed in each of the past two for Houston against South Carolina and Alcorn State. It might not inch over the finish line until the final minute or two, but this baby is going Over.
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