The South Florida Bulls and Temple Owls will take the court on Wednesday at The Liacouras Center. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Owls are six-point favorites and the game total is 139.5 points.
USF, 9-11 SU and 12-8 ATS, defeated Central Florida in its last game. It's 2-5 in conference play this season. Temple, 12-9 SU and 13-7-1 ATS, defeated #1 Houston in its last game. It's 6-2 in AAC competition.
South Florida won the first meeting between these teams last season and Temple won the following two games. The Owls are 14-6 all-time versus the Bulls.
USF picked up a key win over UCF in its last game
South Florida, 2-5 in American Athletic Conference play, is four games back from first place. The Bulls were picked to finish ninth in the conference's preseason poll.
USF took a five-game lead into the half against the Golden Knights and didn't look back, beating UCF by 13 in its last game. The Bulls shot 44.3 percent from the field and 20-for-22 from the free-throw line. They also outrebounded their opponent 41-30, with 15 offensive rebounds.
Last Knight was fun! #HornsUp🤘 | #AllinAllOut | #WarOnI4 pic.twitter.com/VmxIeLLtJ4
— USF Men's Basketball (@USFMBB) January 22, 2023
South Florida scores 71.8 points on 44.2 percent shooting, including 33.7 percent from three-point range. It converts 65.7 percent of its free throws and averages 33.1 rebounds with a +2.5 rebounding margin. The Bulls are 133rd nationally in schedule-adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.
USF surrenders 70.2 points on 42.1 percent shooting, including 34.3 percent shooting. It's 166th in defensive efficiency and 147th in assist-per-turnover ratio (1.o2).
Temple is on the heels of Houston for the AAC lead
Over the weekend, Temple picked up a momentous road win against the nation's top-ranked team, Houston. The Owls, picked to finish fifth in the AAC preseason poll, are now a half-game behind the Cougars for first place in the conference.
Temple shot just 31.1 percent from the field (14-for-45) against top-ranked Houston but held its own on the glass and converted 20-of-22 free throws. The Owls went into the halftime break tied at 30 and didn't back down, showing some of the Philly toughness its fans have rejoiced.
TEAM WIN!
— Temple Men's Basketball (@TUMBBHoops) January 22, 2023
𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗜𝗡! #ForPhilly pic.twitter.com/Oy6X0A4AHs
The Owls score 68.6 points on 41.8 percent shooting, including 31.3 percent shooting from three. They convert 77.9 percent of their free throws and average 32.4 rebounds. Temple is 137th in schedule-adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.
Temple surrenders 67.6 points on 41.6 percent shooting, including 30.4 percent shooting from long range. It's 99th in defensive efficiency and 214th in assist-per-turnover ratio (0.94).
Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The Owls are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall and 5-1 ATS in their last six games following an ATS win. They're coming off one of the most impressive wins of the season, picking up a key conference win on the road. They'll win and cover against a USF team that just picked up a decisive win of its own.
Temple may not be explosive offensively but gets the job done with hard-nosed defense, which will be on display against South Florida. The Bulls can keep this game close for most of the game, but they're not talented enough offensively to steal a win or cover against an Owls team committed to defense on the heels of a huge win.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The under is 6-1 in the Owls' last seven games following a straight-up win and 14-2 in their last 16 Wednesday games.
The Owls, 247th in schedule-adjusted tempo, average 66.0 possessions per game. At home, they'll control the pace and force the Bulls into hard-fought possessions. After a confidence boost against #1 Houston, the Owls will have no problems shutting down South Florida. 259th in points per game and 315th in field goal percentage, Temple will be just fine with another defensive win.