The Tulsa Golden Hurricane look to get back on track when they take on the host Temple Owls in American Athletic Conference action that tips off the Tuesday college basketball schedule. The Golden Hurricane (8-5), who have lost two of three, including an 86-59 defeat at sixth-ranked Houston on Wednesday, are fifth in the conference at 5-3. The Owls (3-4), who lost 68-51 to Houston on Saturday, are seventh in the AAC at 2-4. Temple has won two of its last three games.
Tip-off from Liacouras Center in Philadelphia is slated for 1 p.m. ET. Tulsa leads the all-time series 10-3, including a 4-3 edge in games at Philadelphia. The latest Tulsa vs. Temple odds from William Hill Sportsbook list this game as a pick'em, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 128.5. Before making any Temple vs. Tulsa picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,300 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 set its sights on Tulsa vs. Temple. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Temple vs. Tulsa:
- Tulsa vs. Temple spread: Pick'em
- Tulsa vs. Temple over-under: 128.5 points
- TUL: Ranks ninth nationally in field goal percentage defense and second in the American, holding opponents to 37.8 percent from the field
- TEM: Coach Aaron McKee is 17-21 as Owls coach over the past two seasons
Why Tulsa can cover
The Golden Hurricane is powered by senior guard Brandon Rachal, who leads the team in scoring (14.8 points per game) and rebounding (6.8). In Wednesday's loss at Houston, he scored 18 points and grabbed three rebounds in 25 minutes. He has recorded three double-doubles this season, including a 25-point, 13-rebound performance against Cincinnati. He was named to the AAC preseason all-conference team. In his two-year career at Tulsa, he is averaging 13 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals. He has recorded 30 double-digit scoring games.
Senior guard Elijah Joiner has also been a big part of Tulsa's success. Joiner is averaging 9.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Over the last four games, he has averaged 11.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and three assists. He was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll after averaging 12.5 points and four rebounds in games against Wichita State and Memphis. He has appeared in 105 games at Tulsa with 37 starts in his four seasons at the school.
Why Temple can cover
Redshirt freshman guard Damian Dunn has scored in double figures in five of seven games this season, and leads the Owls in scoring at 14.6 points per game, which is 10th-best in the conference. He is 12th in the AAC in free throw shooting, connecting on 44 of 58 free throws (75.9 percent) with his 6.3 free throws per game ranking fifth in the nation and his 8.3 attempts second. He scored a career-high 20 points in wins over UCF and Tulane. He scored a game-high 18 points with a team-high five assists in a season-opening win over NJIT.
Junior forward Jake Forrester is the Owls' second-leading scorer (9.3 points) and rebounder (6.4). He has scored 15 points in each of the last two games and registered his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds at Tulane on Jan. 16. He is hitting 56.1 percent of his shots from the field, ranking third in the AAC. Last season, he played in 26 games, making 16 starts, averaging 7.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 17.3 minutes per game.
How to make Tulsa vs. Temple picks
The model is leaning under on the total, projecting both teams to combine for 127 points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Temple vs. Tulsa? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
