3:03 pm
January 11

Temple @ SMU

What will be the GAME RESULT?

Temple: Wins or Single Digit Loss

@ SMU: Wins By Double Digits

 

Current odds:

Temple Owls: (+575)

SMU Mustangs: (-910)

 

•  The line for this game is SMU by 12 points.

•  Following their second lengthy pandemic pause, the Temple Owls will finally return to the court on Monday when they visit the SMU Mustangs in an American Athletic Conference matchup in Dallas. The game was moved back from Sunday to give the Owls an extra day to prepare. Games against Memphis and Tulane were postponed “due to a positive COVID-19 case and the ensuing contact tracing of student-athletes at Temple,” according to an AAC announcement on Dec. 31.

•  The Owls (1-2, 0-2 AAC), who didn’t begin their season until Dec. 19 because of a shutdown of basketball activities due to COVID-19, have been idle since a 79-71 home loss to the Mustangs on Dec. 30. SMU (6-2, 2-2) has played twice since then, but it has come up empty both times despite playing on its own court, falling to then-No. 5 Houston and to Cincinnati.

•  The latter loss, in which SMU led most of the way, particularly irked Mustangs coach Tim Jankovich, who didn’t like his team’s performance in general and shot selection in particular. SMU led 67-66 with 2:32 left in the game. The Mustangs hit only one of their final five shots, a layup with 10 seconds left after the game had been decided.

•  Kendric Davis, who leads four SMU players in double figures at 19 points per game, finished with 14 against Cincinnati. He had 13 in the earlier meeting with Temple, with 11 coming in the second half and five during the final stretch to seal the win. Davis is also averaging 7.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game, and Feron Hunt is giving the Mustangs 11.6 points and 8.4 boards per contest.

•  Temple has four players averaging at least 9.7 points per game, led by Damian Dunn at 13.3. DeVondre Perry is nabbing 8.7 rebounds per game. The Owls have struggled offensively in their limited opportunities, scoring only 64.3 points per game while shooting 35.7 percent from the field and 30.8 percent on 3-pointers. They will be facing a defense that is giving up only 67 points per game, and among the nation’s best in holding teams to 39.1 percent shooting from the field.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
SMU: Wins By Double Digits
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