Check out our free Temple vs SMU pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Dallas. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Temple vs SMU Pick & Preview: Wednesday, February 8th Betting Odds
Owls vs Mustangs Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Temple Owls at SMU Mustangs
- Where: Dallas at Moody Coliseum
- Date: Wednesday, February 8th
- Betting Odds: Temple -2.5, TEMPL -146 | SMU +118 O/U 138.5
Owls Preview:
Through 24 games, the Temple Owls have an overall record of 14-10. So far, the Owls have played 8 games on the road, with a record of 6-2. This season, Temple has been favored to win in 13 games, sitting with a mark of 7-6. For today’s contest, Temple has a betting line set -2.5 points in their favor.
Temple will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Khalif Battle who is averaging 18.04 points per game for the Owls. Battle is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Owls’ offensive game plan is the play of Damian Dunn who has hit 42.7% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 14.65 points per game.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for Temple this season, as they are currently ranked 341st in college basketball at 66.8 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Owls’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 31.1%, placing them 413th in the NCAA.
Mustangs Preview:
Coming into today’s matchup, the SMU Mustangs are in the middle of a 2 game losing streak and have an overall record of 8-16. So far this season, SMU has played 13 games at home, sitting with a record of 6-7. For the season, SMU has been the underdog in 13 games, sitting with a mark of 2-11. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Mustangs being +2.5 point underdogs.
SMU’s leading scorer this season is Zhuric Phelps, who is averaging 16.91 points per contest. So far, Phelps has accounted for 22.37% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 3.77 rebounds per game and 2.68 assists. Zach Nutall is the second leading scorer for the Mustangs, averaging 13.79 points per game. Between him and Nutall, they are accounting for 42.3% of the team’s scoring.
On offense, SMU comes into the game looking to control the pace of play, as they are just 446th in possessions per game. Even with their preference to slow the game down, the Mustangs’ are scoring at a rate similar to the NCAA average at 74.4 points per game. So far, 42.57% of their shots have come from beyond the arc, where they have connected at a rate of 36.3%.
Free Spread Prediction: Temple Owls -2.5
Based on our analysis, we feel good about taking the Temple Owls to take care of business in their matchup vs SMU. Heading into action, Temple is favored to win, with a point spread sitting at -2.5. Not only does the team have a good track record vs the spread on the road of late 6-3-1, but they are also doing a good job getting to the line this season. Look for their ability to rack up points at the charity stripe to play a big role in the Owls’ coming away with the win and covering the spread.
