Villanova vs Temple prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball
12/07/2024 01:37 AM
It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Villanova-Temple prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Villanova-Temple.
The college basketball season is loaded with all sorts of rivalry games. One on Saturday is part of the cherished and time-honored Big Five basketball series, bringing Philadelphia’s college basketball schools together every year. Two members of the Big Five are Villanova and Temple. These teams are not in their primes, to be sure, but they both hope to make enough progress that in a few years, they can aspire to return to national relevance in college basketball.
Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune is enduring a very turbulent and stormy tenure in Philadelphia. He was the hand-picked successor to iconic coach Jay Wright, who won two national championships at Villanova and turned the Wildcats into a national superpower. Neptune has consistently struggled at VU, enduring bumpy seasons in which any good games the Wildcats play are surrounded by clunkers and mystifyingly sluggish performances, particularly on offense.
So far this season, Villanova has already lost to Saint Joseph’s (in a Big Five game), Virginia and Columbia. Those are losses to teams unlikely to make the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats’ resume has already been significantly damaged, which reduces this team’s margin for error in future games. Losing here to Temple, also a team not expected to participate in March Madness, would further harm Villanova’s portfolio and make the Big East season even more of an uphill battle than it already figures to be.
Neptune can at least tell himself and his team that positive changes might be unfolding. Villanova did beat nationally-ranked Cincinnati earlier this week. VU evolved and flourished, offering a sign that this team might be on the verge of figuring things out. That’s why this Temple game is so important to Villanova: It is essential for one really good performance to be followed by another. If that happens, VU will develop confidence and rhythm. If VU loses to Temple, there will be a distinct sense of “here we go again” in the locker room. Villanova has to preserve whatever sanity it still has left in its inner circle.
Here are the Villanova-Temple College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Villanova-Temple Odds
Villanova: -10.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -630
Temple: +10.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +450
Over: 144.5 (-110)
Under: 144.5 (-110)
How to Watch Villanova vs Temple
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus, Peacock
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Villanova Will Cover The Spread/Win
The spread is large, but Temple is just not a very good basketball team right now. The Owls floundered last season and are little better — if at all — this season. The Owl program has taken a huge tumble from where it used to be, and there are no real signs of clear-cut improvement. There is no evidence to suggest that the Temple basketball operation is making forward strides. Villanova just did beat Cincinnati. The Wildcats will carry the momentum from that win into this game against Temple.
Why Temple Will Cover The Spread/Win
Villanova should not be favored over any opponent by double digits, yet that is the situation we have here. Villanova is getting way too much respect with this betting line. Take Temple plus the points and don’t even think about doing anything else.
Final Villanova-Temple Prediction & Pick
We do think Villanova should not be favored by this much. We’re going to go with Temple, despite knowing the Owls are a very flawed team.
Final Villanova-Temple Prediction & Pick: Temple +10.5
The post Villanova vs Temple prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
