Memphis Tigers vs. Temple Owls ATS Pick for Jan 16

Memphis Tigers (13-3 SU, 9-7 ATS) vs. Temple Owls (9-6 SU, 7-8 ATS)

When: Thursday, January 16th, 7:00 PM (ET)

Where: Liacouras Center, PA, Philadelphia

TV: ESPN2

Point Spread: MPHS -7.5/TEMPL +7.5

Total: 153.5

Money Line: Memphis Tigers -301/+236

Notable Injuries

Tigers

Owls

• Lynn Greer III (Out) Suspension
• Jameel Brown (Questionable) Undisclosed

Recent Form

Memphis improved to 13-3 on the season with a 74-70 win over East Carolina on Saturday. The Tigers were -12.5 favorites heading into the game but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 144, just under the O/U line of 148.5.

Memphis led 38-24 at halftime but allowed East Carolina to score 46 points in the 2nd half while they managed 36 points of their own.

Temple improved to 9-6 on the season with a 73-70 win over Rice on Saturday. The Owls were +1 underdogs going into the game and covered the spread with the victory.

Temple led 35-31 at halftime and scored 38 points in the second half while allowing 39. The total points for the game were 143, just over the O/U line of 141.5.

Analysis

In their latest game, the Memphis Tigers put up 74 points, shooting 41% from the field and 26.1% from beyond the arc, hitting 6 of 23 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.9%, while they connected on 50% of their two-point shots (19/38).

At the free-throw line, Memphis made 18 of 23 attempts, good for 78.3%. They also grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and dished out 17 assists. PJ Haggerty led the way with 25 points, while C.J. Walker added 23 points and seven rebounds. RJ Felton contributed 20 points and 13 boards.

Memphis gave up 70 points in their last game, with their defense allowing the opposing team to shoot 41% from the field, as they went 25/61 overall.

From beyond the arc, the Tigers held their opponent to 26% shooting, with just 6 made threes on 23 attempts. Memphis also sent them to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 18 for 78%.

Temple’s offense put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 39.3% from the field. They connected on 50% of their three-point attempts, going 6-for-12 while hitting 36.4% of their two-point shots. At the free-throw line, they made 23 of 32 attempts, good for 71.9%.

Jamal Mashburn Jr. led the way with 24 points despite shooting 34.8% from the field. Andrew Akuchie added 18 points and 11 rebounds, hitting 7 of 10 shots. Temple struggled with ball movement, recording just four assists as a team.

Temple’s defense held their opponent to 70 points, with a field goal percentage of 40% on 29/72 shooting. Inside the arc, they allowed 23/51 shooting or 45%.

From three-point range, their opponent shot 6/21, or 28%. Temple also sent them to the free-throw line 12 times, where they made 6, shooting 50%. Temple gave up 14 offensive rebounds.

Betting Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Memphis has been good against the spread, posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 4-1, averaging 77 points per game.
• In their last five home games, Temple has averaged 73 points per game while allowing 72. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 3-2.
• Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Temple has an ATS mark of 3-2 while going 2-3 straight up.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Memphis has an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 8-2 straight up.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

Memphis comes into this one with a 13-3 record, and they are currently sitting 18th in most polls. However, they haven’t looked great their past two games, squeaking by North Texas and East Carolina. Tonight, they are favored by -7.5 on the road against a Template squad that has been playing teams tough. I think the Owls keep this one closer than the line suggests, and I’m taking them to cover at +7.5.