The Temple Owls face the Belmont Bruins in the 2019 NCAA Tournament First Four at 9:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio. The winner advances to face Maryland in the Round of 64 on Thursday. The Bruins are 3.5-point favorites, with the total set at 155.5 in the latest Temple vs. Belmont odds. Belmont had an impressive season, going 26-5 and winning a share of the OVC regular-season title, but the Bruins had to sweat out Selection Sunday after losing to Murray State in the conference tournament. Meanwhile, the Owls went 23-9 and earned an at-large bid with a 13-5 record in the AAC. Before you make any Temple vs. Belmont picks, be sure to see the 2019 NCAA Tournament First Four predictions from SportsLine expert Josh Nagel.
A Nevada-based expert with more than 20 years of experience in the sports wagering industry, Nagel specializes in handicapping college athletics. He is entering the weekend with a sparkling 50-33 record in college basketball picks against the spread for SportsLine members, and anyone who has followed him is way up. Now, he's locked in his Belmont vs. Temple picks.
For Tuesday night's First Four 2019 matchup, Nagel knows that Temple will rely on its length and athleticism at guard to pressure Belmont relentlessly. Shizz Alston Jr., Nate Pierre-Louis and Quinton Rose stand 6-foot-4, 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-8, respectively. And all three make monstrous impacts on the game at both ends of the floor. Alston averages 19.7 points and 5.0 assists, Rose averages 16.8 points and 3.8 rebounds and Pierre-Louis is at 13.3 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Belmont's smaller guards might have difficulties with that trio on both ends of the floor. Alston, Pierre-Louis and Rose also combine to average 5.2 steals per game.
However, Nagel also knows the Bruins can put up big offensive numbers and also have a chance to cover the Temple vs. Belmont spread in the First Four on Tuesday.
The straw that stirs the drink for Belmont is Dylan Windler. The senior wing averages 21.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per game to lead the team in both categories, while also shooting a team-best 43 percent from three-point range. Belmont has hit at least 10 three-pointers in 17 games this season and is 16-1 in those contests.
We can tell you Nagel is leaning under, but his much stronger play is against the spread. He has identified a critical x-factor that causes one side of the spread to hit hard. He's only sharing what it is, and who to back, at SportsLine.
Who wins Belmont vs. Temple? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Belmont vs. Temple spread you need to jump all over Tuesday, all from the expert on a 50-33 run.
