Memphis vs Temple Basketball Prediction & Picks: Improved Owls look to take down Tigers

After a tough overtime at UCF on Wednesday, Memphis will look to get back in the win column today as they visit Temple, who sits a surprising third in the American Athletic Conference.

This afternoon’s matchup between the Owls (10-8, 4-1 American) and Tigers (12-5, 2-2 American) is set for a 3:00 pm tip at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, and it will be televised on ESPN2.

In Wednesday’s 107-104 double-overtime loss in Orlando, Kendric Davis scored a career-high 42 points, but Ithiel Horton countered with 30 points, and the Knights outlasted the Tigers in a matchup of NCAA Tournament hopefuls.

But the Tigers are still on course for the Big Dance if they win the games that they are supposed to, and this is one of those games.

But after a non-conference campaign that included losses to Wagner and Maryland-Eastern Shore, the Owls have found new life in conference play, and only #1 Houston (6-0) and Tulane (5-1) sit above them in the AAC basketball standings.

Who will take the win in the City of Brotherly Love? Read on for our Memphis vs Tulane prediction, as well as our picks for this matchup.

Memphis vs Temple Odds

Odds are via BetOnline as of Sunday, January 15, 2023, at 10:50 am ET. This article may also include odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites.

Spread

• Memphis -6.5 (-104)
• Temple +6.5 (-118)

Over/Under

• Over 148.5 (-106)
• Under 148.5 (-114)

Moneyline

• Memphis -250
• Temple +202

Will Memphis’s Road Woes End at Temple?

Since opening the season with a win at Vanderbilt, Memphis has not fared very well in opposing arenas.

They do have neutral site wins over Nebraska, Stanford, and Auburn, but they have come up empty in all of their true road games, falling at Saint Louis, Alabama, Tulane, and UCF.

Memphis has scored 84, 88, 89, and 104 points (78 in regulation), but they have been undone by shooting poorly from three in all but the Tulane loss and by being far less successful defensively than they have been at home or in neutral-site games.

The Tigers are third in the American in opponents’ field-goal percentage (39.3%), but in those four road losses, their opponents have shot 46.1% (112 of 243) from the field and 40.7% (44 of 108) from three.

The only thing offensively that the Owls do well as a team is shoot free throws, as they rank third in the American and 32nd nationally at 75.6%.

But the team’s leading scorer, Khalif Battle (18.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG), has hit four or more threes in a game five times this season and has seven 20-point games.

And after coming back down to earth after scoring 29, 22, and 38 points in his first three games this season, Damian Dunn’s production is on the up–he had 19 against South Florida, 16 against Tulane, and 12 in 12 minutes at Tulsa before being ejected–so Memphis definitely has some real threats to contend with.

Memphis vs Temple Prediction and Picks

Memphis vs Temple Prediction: Memphis 81, Temple 73

Memphis vs Temple Picks: Memphis team total over 76.5 (Bovada Sportsbook) & Memphis Tulane second half over 77.5 (Best Value: BetOnline)

With Davis, who tops the conference in scoring (21.3 PPG) and assists (5.9 APG) and is the nation’s leader in made free throws per game (7.3 at an 87.9% clip), leading the way yet again, I expect the Tigers to continue their trend of scoring a lot of points away from home.

Based on trends throughout the season, a lot of those points will likely come in the second half, which is why I’m backing the latter pick.

Second Half Scoring in Memphis’s Road Games This Season

• Vanderbilt: 87
• Saint Louis: 84
• Alabama: 110
• Tulane: 111
• UCF: 129 (74 in regulation, 55 in two overtime periods)