Sport: College HoopsPick Selection: Temple Owls -2.5 -110
Charlotte 49ers vs. Temple Owls 8:50 PM ET
Temple Owls -2.5 -110
This Charlotte run is about to end. The 49ers had an improbable win over Rhode Island on Wednesday in the first round, coming back from a nine-point deficit with less than five minutes remaining. That apparently did not take a lot out of them as they came back again last night, also from a nine-point deficit with less than five minutes remaining. They were down by as many as 18 points early in the second half and outscored the Minutemen by 21 points in the second half.
This was accomplished despite getting outshot 46.2 percent to 35.8 percent while hitting a mere 55 percent from the free throw line. The difference was a 44-27 edge over Massachusetts on the glass and this includes 20 offensive rebounds. This was a complete aberration as Charlotte is not a strong rebounding team and has no real edge over Temple heading into Friday?s game. In the two meetings this season, Charlotte won the rebounding battle by four in the first and Temple won it by two in the second.
Temple is coming off a win over LaSalle but it was not as easy as the final score indicates as the final margin came thanks to an 11-0 run by the Owls to end the game. The Owls led by eight at the half, increased the margin to 14 early in the second half but a 15-2 run by LaSalle brought it all the way back before Temple pulled away at the end. The Owls shot 55.1 percent from the floor and made 22-31 from the free throw line, which has been a strength all season long.
Charlotte meanwhile is a struggling team from the free throw line as it is hitting only 63.1 percent over its last five games compared to 77.1 percent for Temple. That is a huge difference and this time of year it is even bigger. The Owls and 49ers split the two meetings this season but Temple did have the upper hand in both and should have swept. It blew a late lead in the first meeting while winning the second meeting by 14 points as it outshot the 49ers by close to 20 percent.
Temple has been red hot against conference foes as it is 14-3 ATS in its last 17 A-10 games. The Owls are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games against a team with a winning record and this price range is ideal as they are 9-3 ATS when the line is +4.5 to -4.5. Temple has covered three straight in this series and the chalk is 4-1 the last five with Temple picking up that win as an underdog. Playing the third game in three days will catch up to the 49ers especially with what they have gone through the last two nights. Play Temple Owls 2.5 Units
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