UTSA vs Temple Prediction 1/3/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The UTSA Roadrunners and the Temple Owls meet Saturday in college basketball action from Liacouras Center in Philadelphia. Here’s a UTSA vs Temple prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best UTSA vs Temple pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

UTSA Roadrunners Betting Preview

The Roadrunners kicked off the season on a 4-3 run, taking wins over College of Biblical Studies, Denver, Southwestern Christian and Georgia Southern during that stretch. UTSA would then hit a losing streak however, falling to South Alabama, Alabama, Colorado, USC and Seattle U in the next five games. That would give the Roadrunners a 4-8 run through their first dozen games.

On New Year’s Eve versus Florida Atlantic, the Roadrunners faced a 60-28 deficit by the break. UTSA gave up another 50 points in the second half and limped to a 110-70 blowout loss in the end. Austin Nunez led the way on 22 points and two boards while Brent Moss chipped in 14 points with eight rebounds. Jamir Simpson added nine points with two rebounds in the loss.

Temple Owls Betting Preview

Over on the Temple side, they beat Delaware State, La Salle, Hofstra and Princeton during a 4-2 opening run this year. The Owls would lose to Rhode Island, Villanova and St. Joseph’s in the next three, but have since beaten Georgian Court, Saint Francis, Davidson, Princeton and Charlotte. Over the first 14 games of the year that gives the Owls a 9-5 overall record so far.

In the Charlotte game on Tuesday the Owls opened the game on a 36-30 advantage. Temple had to hang on during a 43-40 deficit from there, but ended up winning 76-73 by the finish. Jordan Mason turned in 18 points in 35 minutes to lead the team, and Derrian Ford had 17 points with five rebounds and two assists. Aiden Tobiason chipped in 15 points and five assists as well.

UTSA Roadrunners @ Temple Owls Betting Trends: January 3, 2026

Why the Temple Owls will win

• Temple has won eight of its last nine games at Liacouras Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• UTSA has lost seven of its last eight games.
• Temple has won the first half in each of its last four games against the American Conference.

Why the UTSA Roadrunners will win

• Temple has lost four of its last five day games against the American Conference.
• UTSA has won the first half in three of its last four day games against Conference opponents.

UTSA vs Temple Prediction

I’ll lean toward Temple. The Owls dispatched a middling Charlotte team in a road matchup during their last outing, shooting a nice 50.9 percent from the field with 34 points int he paint and 25 rebounds. The foul shooting wasn’t great (15-of-24 for 62.5 percent) however, and the team was a bit slow in the second half. Still, it was a solid victory for the team’s fifth in a row. Temple has been below 69 points in two of the last three games though, so I’d like to see them cross the 70-point barrier again in this one.

As for UTSA, they got blown out by a pretty good FAU team in Boca Raton this week. The Roadrunners shot just 31.1 percent from the field in that one with a 38-25 rebounding deficit and a 38-20 disadvantage on points in the paint. UTSA has now lost six straight, but to be fair they’ve played some tough teams during that streak.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Temple Owls -10.5