Who's ready for some American Conference Thursday night action? The Temple Owls will travel to FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando to take on the UCF Knights. It is time to take an exclusive look at our College Football odds series, where our Temple-UCF prediction and pick will be made!

With a record of 2-3 entering play in this one, Temple is fresh off of a 24-3 defeat at the hands of Memphis back on October 1st, the Owls used their bye week over the past few days to look in the mirror and come up with an identity on both sides of play as they near the halfway point of the season. Although they face an uphill battle against UCF as they serve as heavy underdogs, it is certain that first-year head coach Stan Drayton will have the troops ready for this primetime showdown.

After undergoing a devastating loss to Louisville during the second game of the season, Central Florida has not looked back whatsoever and has since reeled off three consecutive victories all against quality opponents. Now sitting with a record of 4-1 and currently in third place in the American Conference, the Knights are primed to make an impressive run down the stretch.

Here are the Temple-UCF college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Temple-UCF Odds

Temple: +23.5 (-110)

UCF: -23.5 (-110)

Over: 46.5 (-106)

Under: 46.5 (-114)

Why Temple Could Cover The Spread

Although the rest of the country may not be giving the Owls much of a chance on Thursday against UCF, don't tell Temple that. Even though the Owls struggled mightily by only putting up a measly three points on the scoreboard in their last contest, Temple is faced with a gigantic spread that has many wondering if they have what it takes to keep this one close.

To begin, Temple was left with a bad taste in their mouths when last year's matchup with UCF was all but concluded at halftime in a 49-7 route, However, the Owls have new energy within their football program after going 3-9 by hiring Stan Drayton during the offseason. While it has yet to be seen if Temple's record improves from last season, the Owls are confident that they have their man in Drayton.

If the Owls are going to cover the spread on Thursday, it will be vital to get off to a strong start, unlike last year. Temple has been one of the worst college football programs over the last several seasons, but the Owls have actually shown improvement statistically. The strongest part of this roster comes in the form of their defense. Believe it or not, Temple is only surrendering 280 yards per game and has kept opposing offenses off of the scoreboard by allowing 16.8 points per game.

Offensively, things have certainly been dire, but they will need a strong performance from QB E.J. Warner if they are going to cover the spread. While Warner's stats aren't very pretty, he possesses a solid arm and should have possessed enough athletic ability to keep the Knights' defense honest with his legs.

Why UCF Could Cover The Spread

One of the hottest teams in the entire country with a current three-game winning streak that saw the Knights hold their opponents on offense to under 20 points in each contest, Central Florida is an extremely balanced squad that has the makings to win their seventh conference title in school history and their first since the 2018 season. Not to mention, UCF is in good hands with Gus Malzahn at the helm, as the former Auburn Tigers head coach has kept the Knights as a legitimate threat around the country with a 12-5 overall record in his second season in charge.

At first glance, the Knights should hold a hefty advantage when it comes to the talent gap and also in playing their games in Orlando. Frankly, this has been a place where the Knights have rarely lost over the years, as they have compiled a 30-2 record at home since 2017. In addition, it will be a difficult task for Temple to slow down the offensive attack led by QB John Rhys Plumlee, as the senior signal-caller has accounted for ten total touchdowns already and is a well above-average option for the Knights at the quarterback position. As a whole, this offense has been tough to stop and is averaging 482 yards of offense.

While UCF hasn't had the same type of success as Temple when it comes to their defense giving up yards, the Knights have an advantage in the points per game allowed department as Central Florida has stymied opposing offenses for only 14.6 points per game. If the Knights can get both the offensive and defensive units clicking on all cylinders, then it may be another long day for the Owls.

Final Temple-UCF Prediction & Pick

Surely, it appears that Stan Drayton has the troops heading in the right direction, but he is in for a rude awakening against this Knights squad who is nearly unbeatable at home. Side with Central Florida in this one even though the spread is alarmingly large for a conference game.

Final Temple-UCF Prediction & Pick: UCF -23.5 (-110)