Temple vs Florida Atlantic Prediction 3/11/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Florida Atlantic Owls and the Temple Owls will meet on Wednesday night in an American Athletic Conference Tournament matchup at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

Temple Owls Betting Preview

The Temple Owls enter Wednesday’s contest with a 16–15 win‑loss record, including an 8–10 mark in conference play and a 5–6 record on the road. The Owls have compiled wins over La Salle, Richmond, and Princeton, while losing games to West Virginia, UC San Diego and the Michigan State Spartans.

Earlier this season, in the Temple Owls 79–75 victory over the Princeton Tigers, Temple guard Derrian Ford amassed 21 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal showcasing his ability to lead the Owls backcourt.

The Temple Owls are averaging 73.5 points on 44.4 percent shooting from the field and 33.8 percent shooting from three-point range per game. On the defensive side of the basketball, the Temple Owls are allowing opponents 71.5 points per contest.

Guard Derrian Ford is averaging 17.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Senior guard Jordan Mason is averaging 11.4 points, 3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. Junior guard Gavin Griffiths provides further backcourt stability averaging 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.3 blocks a game.

Florida Atlantic Owls Betting Preview

The Florida Atlantic Owls enter Wednesday’s contest with a 17–14 record, including a 9-9 mark in conference play and a 4-9 record on the road. The Owls have compiled recent wins over Temple, Wichita State, UAB and the Memphis Tigers, while dropping games to Tulane, UCF, Liberty and Saint Mary’s.

These two teams met earlier this season. Who prevailed? Who played well? In the Florida Atlantic Owls 77-73 victory over Temple two weeks ago, Florida Atlantic guard Kanaan Carlyle amassed 22 points (7 of 15 shooting from the field: 4 of 10 shooting from three-point range), 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal illustrating his ability to lead the Florida Atlantic offense.   

The Florida Atlantic Owls average 77.9 points on 45.8 percent shooting from the field and 33.4 percent shooting from behind the arc per game. On the defensive side of the basketball, the Owls are allowing opponents 75.9 points per contest.

Sophomore guard Darin Vanterpool leads the Florida Atlantic Owls averaging 15.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals on 45.1 percent shooting from the field per game. Junior guard Kanaan Carlyle averages 15.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. Sophomore forward Devin Williams adds 8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 3 blocks per game giving the Owls a strong defensive anchor in the frontcourt.

Why the Temple Owls will win

•            Senior guard Derrian Ford scoring ability. Ford leads the Temple Owls averaging 15.6 points on 42.3 percent shooting from the field per game.  

•            Defensive advantage. The Temple Owls are allowing opponents 71.5 points per contest.

Why the Florida Atlantic Owls will win

•             Backcourt play. Sophomore guard Darin Vanterpool leads the Florida Atlantic Owls averaging 15.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals on 45.1 percent shooting from the field per game.

•             Offensive edge.  The Florida Atlantic Owls average 77.9 points on 45.8 percent shooting from the field and 33.4 percent shooting from behind the arc per game. Temple averages just 73.5 points per contest.

Temple vs. Florida Atlantic Prediction

This matchup leans toward Florida Atlantic’s ability to control tempo and dictate pace of play against a Temple team that thrives only when games fall into slow half‑court contests. Temple’s quality guard play could certainly keep the Temple Owls competitive, but the team’s reliance on perimeter shooting is concerning in a tournament setting. With that said, I am backing Florida Atlantic to cover the 1.5 points in this game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Florida Atlantic -1.5