Houston vs. Temple Expert Pick and Prediction – February 5, 2023

Houston vs. Temple Season Trends

Revenge on Houston's Mind

Houston has an awesome record at 21-2, they are ranked #3 in the AP Poll, and they are ranked number #1 by Ken Pomeroy. These are are great numbers. Pomeroy rates them out as a top-10 offensive and defensive unit, so it's clear on the surface, that they are legit team poised to make a deep run in the tourney once March comes around. 

Despite these outrageous numbers and efficiency metrics, they haven't been covering a ton lately. They've gone 2-4 against the spread in their last six games, so it's clear that the market and bettors may be overvaluing them a little.

Pesky Temple Defense

Temple has largely disappointed after a slow start in a season in which many expected them to be vying for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. They are going to need to keep adding impressive wins to their resume as the regular season winds down to lock up an at-large bid.

The interior defense has been the anchor for this team and they rank first on defense in the AAC since conference play began. The Cougs struggled with Temple's length in their first go-round, and it will likely present the same challenge in this matchup, as well.

Temple is Getting Their Groove Back

Houston has largely been untested in conference play, and they are already a lock for the postseason. Realistically, they are just playing for seeding above everything else. Sure, revenge is probably some motivation here, but Houston hasn't been playing at a truly elite level in conference play.

Temple struggled to figure out how to make all the pieces on their roster fit together in a way that makes them competitive, but they seem to be doing that now. Their defense is playing at an elite level, and opponents are struggling to score in the paint against them. They've also been rebounding well. The length and athleticism on this team is finally starting to gel as they seek to make a late season push.