The Elon Phoenix and Temple Owls meet in the seventh-place game of the 2021 Charleston Classic on Sunday. The Phoenix (2-3) have dropped both games in the tournament, including a 74-56 decision to Ole Miss on Friday. The Owls (1-3), meanwhile, are 0-2 in the tournament after losing to Boise State 82-62 on Friday. This will be the first meeting between the schools.
The game from TD Arena in Charleston, S.C., is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. ET. Elon is averaging 76.2 points per game, while Temple averages 63.3. The Owls are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Temple vs. Elon odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 135. Before making any Elon vs. Temple picks, make sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting analysis from the red-hot SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has locked in on Temple vs. Elon and released its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Temple vs. Elon:
- Elon vs. Temple spread: Temple -4.5
- Elon vs. Temple over-under: 135 points
- Elon: The Phoenix are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against a team with a losing straight-up record
- TEM: The Owls are 9-4-1 in their last 14 games following an against-the-spread loss
Why Elon can cover
The Phoenix have four players averaging in double figures, including senior guard Torrence Watson. In five games this season, Watson is averaging 10.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He is solid at the free throw line, hitting 83.3 percent of his foul shots. Watson has reached double figures in three games this season, including in Thursday's tournament opener against West Virginia when he scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Also scoring in double figures for Elon is junior guard Hunter McIntosh. McIntosh has averaged in double figures all three seasons with the Phoenix, including 10.2 points per game this year. In 19 games his sophomore year, he averaged 15.7. Although he was shut out against Ole Miss, McIntosh has a pair of 15-point efforts this season, including vs. Florida in the opener on Nov. 9.
Why Temple can cover
The Owls have dropped the first two games of the tournament for the first time in the four years they have been coming to the event. Temple has not lost all three games of an in-season tournament since the 1976 Rainbow Classic. It is also the first time the Owls have played in a seventh-place game since the 2007 Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic. Sophomore guard Khalif Battle continues to lead the team in scoring, averaging 17.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, and last year he was named third-team All-American Athletic Conference.
Also powering Temple is redshirt freshman Damian Dunn, who is averaging 11.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Dunn scored a season-high 18 points in the opener against Maryland-Eastern Shore, making 6-of-13 from the field and all five free throws. He was held to just six points against Boise State. Last season, he finished second on the team and 10th in the AAC in scoring at 13.5 points per game.
How to make Elon vs. Temple picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting 134 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Temple vs. Elon? And which side of the spread hits well over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $2,100 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
