8:40 pm
December 5

Temple @ #21 Villanova

What will be the GAME RESULT?

Temple: Wins or Single Digit Loss

@ #21 Villanova: Wins By Double Digits

 

Current odds:

Temple: (+300)

Villanova: (-400)

 

• The line for this game is Villanova by 8 points.

• No. 21 Villanova passed its first Big 5 challenge of the season and will once again face a local rival Wednesday when Temple pays a visit to the Wildcats’ campus. The Big 5 is an annual round-robin between five Philadelphia area schools, and the Wildcats are actually slated to play four consecutive Big 5 games this month – a run that continues on Wednesday against the fast-starting Owls. Villanova has won 23 straight Big 5 games, including Saturday’s 85-78 win against La Salle, as the defending national champions continue to win local matchups despite losing many key players to the NBA. Eric Paschall and Phil Booth, two of the returning players from the title team, combined for 46 points against the Explorers and hope to match or exceed that number against the Owls.

• Temple improved to 7-1 with a Big 5 win of its own Saturday, recording a 77-70 road triumph against Saint Joseph’s.

• The Owls received 15 points apiece from Shizz Alston Jr. and Quinton Rose against St. Joe’s, continuing their best start since 2012-13 when the team started 8-1. Alston and Rose average 17.1 points apiece and combine for 8.4 assists and 3.9 steals out of the backcourt. Nate Pierre-Louis (11.3 points) scored in double digits in each of the first five games but has not reached the 10-point mark in three straight contests.

• The Wildcats shot 55.1 percent from the field against La Salle, made 12-of-21 from 3-point range and connected on 19-of-23 foul shots in one of their best performances since dominating Michigan in last season’s NCAA Tournament title game. Paschall, who got off to a slow start this season, is averaging 21.3 points in the last three games and 15.8 overall – just behind Booth (16.9) among the team scoring leaders. Collin Gillespie (11.3 points) has 32 points over the last two outings and is shooting 41.9 percent from 3-point land this season.

• Rose had 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting – 5-of-6 from long range – in last season’s matchup, although Temple still lost by 20.

• After averaging 10 points last season, Booth has scored at least 12 in seven of the team’s eight games in 2018-19.

•  In his last four games, Villanova F Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree is 14-of-15 from the floor.

4/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Temple: Wins or Single Digit Loss
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