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Two teams with bad blood will meet again in Philadelphia in their second game of the season. The No. 3 Houston Cougars (21-2) will take on the Temple Owls (14-9). Temple managed to pull off an upset their first time against Houston. Don't miss this rematch! Check out our college basketball odds series for our Houston-Temple prediction and pick.
The Houston Cougars are back on the winning track after having lost only their second game of the season to this Temple Owls team. Winning their last three and holding the No. 3 ranking in the nation, the Houston Cougars will head into a hostile Temple environment looking to avenge their one-point loss from earlier this month.
The Temple Owls have been hot recently having won their last four games. Winning by thin margins, the Owls have found themselves in second place of the American Athletic Conference standings, just one game behind leading Houston. With another win over the Cougars in this one, Temple will have the chance for the conference lead and will almost certainly earn a ranking if they can topple Houston.
Here are the Houston-Temple college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Houston-Temple Odds
Houston: -11.5 (-105)
Temple: +11.5 (-115)
Over: 131.5 (-105)
Under: 131.5 (-115)
How To Watch Houston vs. Temple
TV: ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV, ESPN App
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET/ 3:00 p.m. PT
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*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Houston Could Cover The Spread
The Houston Cougars continue to impress as one of the best five teams in college basketball. They've often looked like to best team in the country with their wide range of talented players. Houston plays an NBA-type game and has the players to do so. Jamal Shead and Marcus Sasser lead to ball-handling efforts for the Cougars and facilitate the scoring for the team.
J'Wan Roberts continues to be a force inside. Having scored only eight points in their loss to Temple, Roberts will have to be a bigger factor if they want to avoid another upset. In that game, Houston shot 19-56 as a team, a horrendous percentage considering the amount of talent they have on their roster. Look for Houston to make all the right adjustments as they come into this game as double-digit favorites.
Why Temple Could Cover The Spread
Temple enjoyed a seldom win over a top-ranked opponent when they beat Houston earlier last month. They found the formula to beat a No. 1 team on the road, so they'll look to the same game plan when hosting the Cougars this time around. The Temple fans will be out in full force and will certainly be a factor as they know now how to beat this Houston team.
Khalif Battle will continue to lift his team in tough games down the stretch. Leading the team with 17.7 PPG, he's their spark plug on offense and always turns in a solid defensive performance. Temple has played better on the road than at home this year, but they'll be happy to be in their building instead of Houston in this one. The Owls will need to lean on their defense again and block Houston from producing on the perimeter. Look for Temple to be strong inside and prevent Houston from any easy buckets.
Final Houston-Temple Prediction & Pick
Temple has been a great team this year and is capable of giving any ranked team issues. However, Houston is too good of a team to not have made major adjustments since their last game against Temple. While the spread is wide, I think Houston will cover this with ease and retain their ranking.
Final Houston-Temple Prediction & Pick: Houston Cougars -11.5 (-105)
