Temple vs Cincinnati Odds, Picks: How to Bet This AAC Clash

Temple vs Cincinnati Odds

Wednesday, Feb. 22

7 p.m. ET

ESPN2

Temple Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
+8.5 -115	139.5 -110o / -110u	+290

Cincinnati Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
-8.5 -105	139.5 -110o / -110u	-375

Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute college basketball odds here.

Cincinnati and Temple meet Wednesday night in an AAC matchup between two teams that still have a lot to play for in terms of AAC Tournament positioning.

Both teams enter Wednesday locked in fourth place with a record of 9-6 in conference play. This position is very much significant, as both teams will be looking to earn a first-round bye in the AAC Tournament — a benefit awarded to the top five seeds.

Cincinnati comes into this game winning two of its last three games, including an impressive 73-71 victory over UCF on the road on Saturday.

On the other side, Temple snapped a four-game losing streak when it defeated Tulsa on its home floor, 76-53. The Owls' attention now turns to the availability of leading scorer Khalif Battle, who was absent last time out due to personal reasons.

To pick which team will get one step closer to securing its position in the AAC Tournament, let's take a look at the odds and make a prediction for Temple vs. Cincinnati.

Temple Owls

Temple has had a roller coaster of a season due to its inconsistency on both ends of the floor. The Owls strung together four consecutive wins from Jan. 18-28, including a monumental win over the then-No. 1 team in the country, Houston.

Since that hot streak, Temple has gone cold, losing four of its last five games, including losses to SMU and Wichita State teams that both reside outside the top 110 nationally.

These up-and-down results can be attributed to a Temple offense that's heavily reliant on outside shooting. The Owls score 34.6% of their points from beyond the arc, the 83rd-highest rate in the country. These numbers come from Temple shooting 43.7% of its shots from the perimeter while connecting on just 33.4%.

Temple ranks seventh in the AAC in 3-point shooting percentage despite taking the most attempts per game.

Against Cincinnati, this sporadic performance from the perimeter will be catalyzed, as the Bearcats lead the AAC in 3-point attempts allowed. In fact, only 23.7% of their total points allowed come from deep.

To make matters worse, Temple is now dealing with the absence of Battle — its leading scorer — who has accounted for 34.2% of the Owls' total made 3s.

Look for Cincinnati's defense to limit a sporadic Temple offense that could potentially be without its largest contributor.

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Cincinnati Bearcats

This will be a revenge spot for Wes Miller's Cincinnati Bearcats, who lost to Temple, 70-61, on New Year's Day. This contest showed Temple's shooting volatility working out in its favor, as it connected on 44.4% of its 3s.

In addition to this outside shooting success, Temple outrebounded the Bearcats, 46-28. The Owls were especially effective on the defensive glass, grabbing 32 total defensive boards.

Although these rebounding numbers are impressive, I expect them to regress in the second matchup between these two. Overall, Cincinnati has snagged offensive rebounds on 30.3% of its field-goal attempts, 1.7% above the D-I average. On the other side, Temple is allowing its opponents to create second chances on 29.6% of their field-goal attempts, 235th nationally.

In addition to this rebounding progression, Cincinnati's balanced offensive attack should find success against a Temple defense struggling to create pressure. Defensively, Temple ranks 270th in turnover percentage and 327th in steal percentage.

These poor defensive numbers will be put on display against a Cincinnati offense that scores 55% of its points off an assist, well above the D-I average.

Temple vs Cincinnati Betting Pick

This is a great spot to back a Cincinnati team seeking revenge on its home floor.

Temple is trending in the wrong direction after losing four of its last five. In addition, its volatile offense will now potentially be without its leading scorer in Battle.

On the other side, Cincinnati should see some progression in the rebounding department on both ends of the floor, resulting in elevated offensive success.

Before making an investment be sure to monitor the status of Temple's Battle, whose availability is still an ongoing situation.

If Battle doesn't suit up, I will gladly invest in a Cincinnati team possessing all of the tools needed to shut the Owls down on offense.

Pick: Cincinnati -8 or Better