Cincinnati vs. Temple Betting Line
Carrie Stroup here with your Cincinnati vs. Temple betting line. Connecticut-4.5, Total: 127.5
CONNECTICUT HUSKIES (17-6) at TEMPLE OWLS (14-8)
Temple and Connecticut square off in a battle for AAC supremacy, with Connecticut looking for some payback after losing on its home floor to Temple earlier this year.
With 9-2 SMU ineligible for postseason play, Temple (8-3) and Connecticut (7-3) will have a lot on the line when they battle it out on Thursday night. By virtue of their 55-53 win on Jan. 8 in Hartford, a Temple win would give them a huge edge in the race for the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament with a season sweep over the Huskies. Connecticut, meanwhile, obviously needs this road win over the Owls badly to keep pace and even out potential tiebreakers for a top seed.
Both squads went 2-0 SU (1-1 ATS) last week, with the Owls defeating Tulsa 83-79 (PK) while escaping at UCF on Saturday with a 62-60 (Temple -3.5) win. The win on Saturday was Temple coach Fran Dunphy’s 517th of his career, putting him tops amongst all-time “Big Five” coaches amongst the Division 1 Philadelphia-based schools. Connecticut, meanwhile, delivered a knockout blow in Memphis, 77-57 (UConn -2) while returning home to defeat East Carolina, 85-67 (UConn -19).
Temple is 3-2 SU (3-2 ATS) since Connecticut joined them as conference foes. The Owls have taken the last three matchups against the Huskies. Temple is 7-2 SU (5-2 ATS) at home this season, while Connecticut is an impressive 5-1 SU (4-2 ATS) on the road. Temple has fared well against the spread in conference play (7-4 ATS) while Connecticut has struggled (4-7 ATS) in AAC play. That said, the Huskies are 4-2 ATS in their last six contests.
It may or may not be a coincidence for Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie that even getting token minutes from previously injured C Amida Brimah (7 PPG, 2.6 BPG) would jump-start Ollie’s struggling star player, but F Daniel Hamilton (11.8 PPG, 9 RPG, 5.0 APG) has come alive in his past two games.
Hamilton had struggled mightily since the start of conference play, losing his aggressiveness and his touch from the field and often failing to score in double-figures. This ended in wins over Memphis and East Carolina last week, as Hamilton shot 12-25 (4-11 3PT) en route to averages of 14 PPG, 14.5 RPG, and 6.5 APG. Oddly enough, Hamilton hasn’t shot a free throw in four games, and Temple’s solid defense will mean that Connecticut needs Hamilton to keep making plays and not settle for wayward jump shots. Hamilton went only 2-13 FG in the loss to Temple in January.
Like Hamilton, Connecticut doesn’t have the personnel that gets to the line often (18 FTA/game, 303rd NCAA) and that hurts the Huskies mediocre offense (74.4 PPG). If the last matchup between the Huskies and the Owls is any indication, we could be in for another defensive struggle, as Connecticut’s elite defense holds teams to 61.4 PPG (6th NCAA) and 36.8% FG (2nd NCAA).
The Huskies stumbled their way to 31.6% FG in the 55-53 home loss to Temple (4-20 3PT) with only F Shonn Miller (13.5 PPG, 59% FG) scoring over 11 points. Miller had 18 points on 7-13 FG. Guards Rodney Purvis (13.4 PPG) and Sterling Gibbs (12.7) also struggled against Temple (18 points, 5 turnovers, 2 assists) and have proven themselves to be low-efficiency perimeter options who can score in bunches, but lack consistency to be relied upon.
Temple escaped with a win on January 8th over Connecticut in the XL Center thanks to heroics from G Josh Brown (8.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.5 APG), who hit the game winning FG with 2.5 seconds left. Brown, a physical defender who isn’t afraid to mix it up in the paint, leads the Owls in minutes played and is to Temple what Hamilton is to UConn; the do-it-all guy where any additional offense is a bonus. Unfortunately, Brown really has been a non-factor with the ball lately, having failed to hit double-figures in each of his last five games.
When there’s scoring to be done, Temple’s offense goes through senior G Quenton DeCosey (16.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 40% 3PT) and rightfully so. DeCosey has upped his scoring to 17.8 PPG in conference play, including 19.8 PPG over his last five games.
Talented sophomore F Obi Enechionyia (9.8 PPG) has upped his play of late, averaging 15.5 PPG over his last four games, all in double figures (43.5% 3PT, 2.5 3PM). Conversely, 6th man extraordinaire, G Devin Coleman (9.6 PPG) has struggled lately, going 11-39 FG over his last four games.
Temple’s 69.4 PPG against D1 opponents (244th NCAA) leaves much to be desired, but thanks to Brown, DeCosey, and company, they’re very hard to turnover (9.2 TO/G vs D1 opponents, 2nd NCAA).
F Jaylen Bond (9.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG) provides the interior muscle for the Owls, but has to stay out of foul trouble (4 fouls in each of his last three games). Bond was only on the floor for 12 minutes in the tight win over UCF on Saturday, which forces DeCosey to have to play out of position at forward. This explains Temple’s mediocre rebound margin of -2.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
