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The UConn Huskies take on the Temple Owls in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, Oct. 10. Kickoff is set for 3:45 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Temple is favored by -3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -172. UConn, meanwhile, enters as a +3.5 underdog and is +142 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 54.5 total points.
Here’s my UConn vs. Temple prediction and college football pick for Saturday, October 10.
UConn vs Temple Prediction
- UConn vs. Temple Pick: Temple -3.5 (Play to -6)
My Temple vs. UConn best bet is on the Owls to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
UConn vs Temple Odds
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 54.5 -110o / -110u | +142 |
| Temple Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 54.5 -110o / -110u | -172 |
- UConn vs Temple point spread: Temple -3.5 (-11012), UConn +3.5 (-110)
- UConn vs Temple over/under: 54.5 (-110o / -110u)
- UConn vs Temple moneyline: UConn +142, Temple -172
UConn vs Temple College Football Preview
UConn Huskies Betting Preview: The Candle Era Continues
When head coach Jim Mora left to take the job at Colorado State, the UConn Huskies went to the MAC and plucked two-time conference champion Jason Candle from Toledo.
His tenure in Connecticut has started 2-3, and now the Huskies will head down I-95 a few hours to Philadelphia to take on Temple.
Candle brought quarterback Kalieb Osborne with him from Toledo after he served as the backup his freshman year. Osborne has been solid for Huskies, averaging 232.8 yards per game with 10 touchdowns through the first five games.
Osborne has weapons on the outside with possession guy Javon Brown and speedster Shamar Porter, although Brown suffered a scary injury last week and will be out this weekend.
Osborne also adds a dangerous weapon with his legs. He leads the team in rush attempts and has averaged 48.6 yards per game on the ground this season.
He has rushed for five touchdowns, the same amount as lead back Cyncir Bowers. The two make a formidable backfield duo, with Bowers averaging 7.4 yards per carry.
The defense lost its top 16 leading tacklers from last season, many of them heading to Colorado State. Candle helped rebuild by bringing some pieces with him, led by All-MAC linebacker K’Von Sherman. The rest of the group has been inconsistent, though.
UConn has done a great job limiting big plays, but teams have had little issues moving the ball down the field on this defense.
The Huskies have allowed over 400 total yards in four straight games, and Syracuse totaled 509 yards and 42 points against this unit last week.
Temple Owls Betting Preview: Major Coaching Advantage
Temple hired K.C. Keeler last season and immediately saw dividends from the National Championship-winning coach.
The Owls went 5-7 under Keeler, their best mark since 2019. They've started this season 2-3 but are 4-0-1 against the spread, hanging close with Penn State, Army and Candle’s former team Toledo.
Jaxon Smolik started the season under center for the Owls but suffered a foot injury against Toledo. Ajani Sheppard has started the last two games and really settled in during the win over South Florida.
Smolik was in pads last week, so he could be close to returning, but the two are very similar.
Sheppard has thrown for six touchdowns and no interceptions, and adds a dynamic ability with his legs, so maybe he remains the guy going forward.
Temple has run the ball well this season. Keveun Mason and Samuel Brown V have helped the Owls average 212.6 rushing yards per game.
The passing attack has seemingly improved under Sheppard, and Jojo Bermudez remains a dangerous weapon on the outside despite a slow start to the year.
Defensively, the Owls are led in the middle of the field by stud linebacker Curly Ordonez. He's a tackling machine and the heart of this defense.
The secondary also has seasoned safeties, led by Saboor Karriem, to help prevent big plays.
The biggest weakness here is that Temple continues to struggle getting off the field on third downs. It ranks near the bottom of college football in third-down defense.
A big reason for this has been the lack of a pass rush, allowing teams to have plenty of time on third-down conversions.
UConn vs Temple Pick, Betting Analysis
This is typically the spot you want to bet Candle as a small underdog. However, Keeler has been a good bet in any situation. Temple has gone 11-5-1 ATS under Keeler, including 4-1 as a favorite and 2-0 as a home favorite.
We aren’t positive who will be starting at quarterback for the Owls on Saturday, but I'm hoping it's Sheppard again. He has thrown six touchdowns with no interceptions but is most dangerous with his legs.
This Owls ground attack has averaged 212.6 yards per game, rushing for 5.6 yards per carry. Temple should have big advantages on the ground against a UConn defense that ranks 133rd in Rush Success Rate allowed.
The Huskies have also been torched through the air, with three of the last four quarterbacks they've faced throwing for over 300 yards — and the one who didn’t had 299.
Temple also has a major advantage in discipline. The Owls rank fifth in the country in penalty yards per game, while the Huskies rank 129th. To be frank, Temple just has a major coaching advantage here with Keeler over Candle.
Give me Keeler and the Owls to get it done at home.
Pick: Temple -3.5 (Play to -6)
UConn vs Temple Betting Trends
