It will be a battle between AAC opponents when the Temple Owls (11-10, 3-6 AAC) welcome the No. 16 Wichita State Shockers (17-4, 7-2 AAC) to Liacouras Center. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 1, 2018, and will air on ESPN2.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 144 points with Wichita State set as a 6-point favorite.
Wichita State Shockers at Temple Owls Betting Prediction
The last time the Shockers played, they dismantled the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, 90-71. The Shockers forced 15 turnovers and had an offensive rebounding percentage of 39.5 (above their season average of 34.6). Wichita State rallied around Austin Reaves, who was the team’s high scorer with 23 points on 8-for-12 shooting.
The Owls had no trouble getting past the Connecticut Huskies in their last matchup, 85-57. The Owls had an absurdly low turnover percentage of 6.5 (better than their season average of 15.0) and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.571 (above their season average of 0.477). Shizz Alston Jr. was the top scorer from either team with 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting.
Temple might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they square off against one of the NCAA’s best defenses. Wichita State ranks 54th in defensive efficiency, while the Owls rank 265th in offensive efficiency. Furthermore, the Shockers, who rank 31st in offensive rebounding percentage (34.9 percent), will clash against the Owls, who rank 326th in defensive rebounding percentage (66.1 percent).
Wichita State heads into the game with records of 17-4 straight up (SU) and 9-10 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when setting the total of Shockers games, with 10 overs compared to 9 unders.
Meanwhile, Temple owns records of 11-10 SU and 10-11 ATS. In opposition of Wichita State, just over half of Owls games have finished under the O/U total.
Wichita State Shockers at Temple Owls Odds Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Wichita State, ATS Winner – Wichita State, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Wichita State averages 41.9 rebounds per game, which ranks fifth in the NCAA. Temple ranks 235th in rebounds allowed per game (37.8).
The Shockers rank third in assists per game (19.1) while the Owls rank 203rd (12.4).
Temple ranks 105th in three pointers attempted per game (23.2) while Wichita State ranks 224th in three pointers allowed per game (24.1).
The Shockers average 4.6 blocks per game, which ranks 38th in the nation. The Owls rank 94th in blocks allowed per game (3.3).
Temple ranks 81st in steals per game (6.9) while Wichita State ranks 88th in steals allowed per game (6.0).
Bettings Trends:
The Shockers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 4.4, down from 14.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Owls have scored an average of 63.6 points per game (3.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 63.2 points per game (5.2 below their season average).
