Memphis vs Temple Odds, Picks and Predictions: Tigers Find Get-Right Spot

The Memphis Tigers face off against the Temple Owls in AAC basketball action on Thursday night. The Tigers just snapped a four-game losing streak and need to play better if they want to make March Madness since they're in the "next four out" category in most bracket predictions.

The Owls aren't even dreaming about the NCAA tournament since they sit at the bottom of the conference standings with a 1-8 mark. College basketball odds opened with the Tigers as 6.5-point road favorites and the Over/Under at 149.5. Here are my best free college basketball picks and predictions for Memphis vs. Temple on February 8.

Memphis vs Temple best odds

Memphis vs Temple picks and predictions

These have been two of the worst teams in the country to bet on over the last couple of months. The Temple Owls are on a seven-game losing streak and are just 2-11-2 ATS in their last 15 games. The Memphis Tigers have lost four of their last five while going just 1-10 ATS in their previous 11 contests.

However, something has to give here, and while the Tigers have been inconsistent in AAC play, they looked sharp during the non-conference part of their schedule. They beat Texas A&M, Clemson, and Virginia in December while also having a razor-close loss on the road against Mississippi. Meanwhile, the Owls have an overall record of just 8-14 and lost against terrible teams like Old Dominion and Columbia in non-conference play.  

This Temple squad is one of the worst shooting schools in the country. Guard Hysier Miller leads the team with 15.9 points per game but shoots a pathetic 34% from the floor and 25.3% from deep. Despite ranking 329th in the country in 3-point percentage (29.6%), the Owls attempt threes at the 29th-highest rate. They aren't any better inside the arc, ranking 351st in the country in two-point percentage (43.7%). 

While Temple struggles to get points, Memphis does an excellent job of attacking the rim, getting buckets in transition, and generating second chances on the offensive glass.  The Owls defend poorly in transition and at the rim while also sitting outside the Top 250 in defensive rebounding rate due to their lack of size in the frontcourt.

The Tigers are also one of the few teams around the country that shoot better on the road than at home, boasting an effective field goal percentage of 54.6% in away games. The Owls are just 3-5 SU at home against Div 1 foes and haven't performed any better defensively, with their opponent 50.5 EFG% at home nearly identical to what opponents shoot against them on the road.

That's not surprising when you consider that the spacious Liacouras Center is usually half-empty for games. With home-court advantage not playing much of a factor here fade the poor-shooting Owls on the spread.  

My best bet: Memphis -6.5 (-110 at FanDuel)

Memphis vs Temple same-game parlay

Memphis -6.5

Temple team total Under 71.5

+148 at DraftKings

The Tigers are a below-average defensive team that likes to push the pace, but they have the length and athleticism to limit Temple's woeful offense. If Memphis covers the spread as road favorites tonight, it will likely be because Temple once again goes ice-cold from the field. 

The Owls are coming off a contest where they dropped 80 points against Tulane but they shot just 37% in that contest. They had scored fewer than 70 points in their previous 11 games while averaging just 62.4 ppg during that span.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Memphis vs Temple spread and Over/Under analysis

This spread opened with the Tigers at -6.5 and the O/U at 149.5. The spread initially moved to -7 but buyback on the Owls brought it back to -6.5 while the total has ticked up to 150 at some books.

The Owls are on a seven-game losing streak and have covered the spread just once during that span. However, their last two defeats came in overtime on the road so they were at least competitive. 

The Tigers are coming off a 65-63 win at home against Wichita State. They managed to snap a four-game losing streak with that victory but didn't come close to covering the spread as 9.5-point faves and have covered just once in conference play.

The Tigers are at No. 78 in the NET rankings while ranking 76th on KenPom. The Owls are just outside the Top 240 in both the NET rankings and KenPom.

Memphis vs Temple betting trend to know

The Owls have gone Under their team total in 10 of their last 14 games at home (+5.40 Units / 33% ROI) while the Tigers have gone Over their team total in 10 of their previous 15 away contests. (+4.30 Units / 25% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Memphis vs. Temple.

Memphis vs Temple game info

Memphis vs Temple key injuries

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