Considering the teams that comprise the Big 5, it should not shock anyone that the Villanova Wildcats have made easy work of the group. The Wildcats have won their past 21 games vs Big 5 schools and will look to sweep those opponents for the fifth consecutive season when they take on the Temple Owls on Wednesday.
- Villanova G Phil Booth is averaging 18.3 ppg while shooting 50% from 3PT in the last 3 games.
- Villanova is 4-0 SU and ATS in its last 4 games against Temple.
- The total has gone OVER in 9 of Villanova’s last 12 games against Temple.
Villanova finds itself ranked No. 1 in the nation for the third straight season thanks to losses by Duke and Kansas this past weekend. That’s not to take anything away from Jay Wright’s team, as ’Nova has opened the season 10-0 while outscoring opponents by an average of 22.3 points per game. The team is led by the guard duo of Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson, who have combined to average 35.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists while shooting 58.1 percent from the floor.
Temple does have the distinction of being the last Big 5 team to defeat Villanova – even if that was on December 5, 2012. The Owls schedule has featured plenty of travel this young season but the team has been successful in rare appearances at home, as they are 2-0 SU at Liacouras Center – though they are 0-2 ATS. Temple doesn’t exactly sport much depth in scoring but guards Shizz Alston Jr. and Quinton Rose are both averaging 17.3 ppg.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Betting fans looking to back the Villanova Wildcats before tipoff in this one found them as 7-point favorites over at Sportsbook earlier.
Villanova Wildcats vs Temple Owls Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Temple Owls sport a record of 6-2 and 4-4 ATS heading into this betting matchup, while the Villanova Wildcats have 10-0 and 6-3-1 ATS marks on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 5-3 for the Temple Owls and 6-4 for the Villanova Wildcats.
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Owls rated this week at No. 50 and the Wildcats sitting at No. 2.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up Temple's No. 156 nationally ranked offense (74.62 points per game) against a Villanova Wildcats defense that sits as the No. 30 at 63.3 PPG. The Owls have been averaging 45.97% from the field, less than the Wildcats have managed so far this season (50% on average).
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Wildcats got 18 points from Donte DiVincenzo as Villanova ran past La Salle 77-68 on Sunday at Wells Fargo Center-PA.
Shizz Alston Jr. scored 20 points leading the Owls to a 81-78 victory over Saint Joseph's at Liacouras Center on Saturday.
Next Betting Matchups
Villanova at Hofstra, Friday, December 22
Temple at Drexel, Saturday, December 16
