The No. 17 Villanova Wildcats (1-0) visit the Temple Owls (0-1) Friday. Tip from the Liacouras Center is set for 7 p.m. ET (ESPNU). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Villanova vs. Temple odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Villanova is coming into this game having taken down La Salle 81-68 in its opener Monday, failing to cover as 15.5-point favorites. The Wildcats were led by G Caleb Daniels, who scored 24 points and totaled 10 rebounds. F Eric Dixon scored 20, while F Brandon Slater and G Jordan Longino both in double figures as well.
The Owls lost 76-73 in overtime to Wagner Monday, losing outright as 16-point underdogs. G Damian Dunn went off for Temple, scoring a game-high 29 points in 43 minutes. Dunn was one of three Temple players in double figures.
Dunn was the team’s 2nd-leading scorer last season with 14.9 points per game. The Owls were 17-12 last year, so this early-season loss comes as a shock.
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Villanova at Temple odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:13 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Villanova -230 (bet $230 to win $100) | Temple +180 (bet $100 to win $180)
- Against the spread (ATS): Villanova -5.5 (-105) | Temple +5.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 132.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Villanova at Temple picks and predictions
Prediction
Villanova 68, Temple 61
Moneyline
PASS.
Villanova (-240) should win, but on the road, I would pass on the moneyline due to lack of value.
Against the spread
LEAN VILLANOVA -5.5 (-110).
The Owls lost their opener, and the struggles should continue with a Wildcats team that is consistently one of the best-coached programs in the nation.
Temple G Khalif Battle struggled, scoring 16 points in its opener, which was fewer than his team-high 21.4 points per game average from a season ago. The Owls played two ranked games last season (Houston Cougars both times), losing by 38 points on the road and 5 points at home.
I expect the Wildcats to be better than their rankings suggest. Villanova beat both AAC schools by 5 or more points last season with one coming against the Cougars.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 132.5 (-110).
Nova ranked 23rd in the nation in opponents’ points per game last season and has many players from that roster. It held La Salle to 40% shooting from the field in its opener.
Temple should be more athletic and have a better defense than La Salle, so the 56% that the Wildcats shot is unlikely to be repeated. Shooting 65% from deep is insane as well, and that should undoubtedly cool off for Villanova.
Jay Wright retired, and the Kyle Neptune-era for the Cats is starting. They should still be a defensive-minded team though, and I expect this to be a slow-paced game.
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