Central Florida Knights (13-7) vs Temple Owls (13-9)
Game Info: Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 12:00 pm (Addition Financial Arena)
Betting Odds: Central Florida Knights -8.5 -- Over/Under: 130 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Temple Owls will head down to Orlando and face the UCF Knights in AAC play from Desert Financial on ESPNU. Temple leads the head-to-head series, 10-7, after winning four of the last five meetings.
Temple moved to 11-9 after beating East Carolina in Philly. The Owls trailed ECU at the break, but a strong second half would lead them to a 15-point victory. Temple is scoring 69.3 points per game, while allowing 68.3 ppg, and shooting 42.2% from the floor.
Temple has turned things up in conference play, and after winning seven of their last nine games, they currently sit at second place in the AAC. The road win over Houston was huge, and could be even bigger when Selection Sunday roles around. aron McKie’s team is led by the tandem Khalif Battle and Damian Dunn. Battle had one of his best games of the season against USF, scoring a game-high 25 points to bring his team-lead to 17.4 ppg. Dunn has been more consistent during conference play, and he’s averaging 15.2 ppg.
Central Florida dropped to 10-4 after losing to Houston on the road. The Knights gave the Cougs all they could handle in the second half, but it wouldn’t be enough and they’d lose by six points. UCF is scoring 71.3 points per game, while allowing 60.8 ppg, and shooting 43.9% from the field.
UCF brought the fight to Houston, and that summed up their season precisely. The Knights have taken three straight losses, and they need to turn things around before it’s too late. Taylor Hendricks has played a big role as a true freshman, and he leads UCF in scoring (14.4) and rebounding (7.1). Former UMass guard C.J. Kelly is second on the team at 12.6 ppg after scoring 18 points or more in four of the last six games.
Temple is 13-8-1 against the spread this season, with a 9-12-1 over/under record. UCF is 10-8-2 ATS this year, with a 10-9-1 o/u record.
Temple comes into Disney World as a hot underdog pick with good reason. The Owls have finally found some consistency, and the chemistry in their backcourt is leading them in the right direction. UCF is trending in the wrong direction, and they’re vulnerable to a fourth-straight defeat here against a streaking Temple team. I like spotting Temple the points for this AAC battle.
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Corey’s Pick Temple +5.5
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
Mitch's Take...
