The Big 5 is saving the most prestigious match-up for last this season. The Villanova Wildcats have won 18 straight against their Philadelphia brethren and already defeated La Salle, St. Joseph’s, and Pennsylvania this season. However, the Temple Owls have also rung up a 3-0 record against those same schools and now these teams play with the city championship on the line. Villanova has won the last three Big 5 titles and with a win here would be just two behind Temple for the school with the most all-time.
Don’t miss the hardwood action from The Pavilion at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 13, 2016. Catch every moment of the game live on FS1. We will have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Tuesday schedule.
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Temple has been one of the more inconsistent teams in the nation this season. The Owls scored huge wins over West Virginia and Florida State in the NIT Tip-Off Tournament during Thanksgiving as a double-digit underdog each time. Yet, this same team also has abysmal losses to New Hampshire and George Washington. All told, the Owls are 7-2 ATS on the season and 5-0 ATS away from home.
Villanova had one of its toughest tests of the season on Saturday against Notre Dame. The Wildcats trailed for much of the game, but Josh Hart sparked a huge run that led Nova to a comeback victory that also covered the spread. Nova has only played three home games this season, but the Wildcats are 2-1 ATS in those and 2-1 ATS against Big 5 opponents this season.
Player to Watch
Josh Hart had a statement game against the Irish on Saturday and made a case that he was the favorite for the Wooden Award. With Villanova’s unblemished record in jeopardy, Hart completely took the game over and ended up posting a career-high 37 points against the Irish. He was unstoppable throughout the game as any time the Irish posted a smaller guard against him, Hart fired a shot over the defender and when a big man came out to defend, Hart blew right past him.
Currently, Hart is on pace for one of the all-time great shooting seasons. He has hit over 50 percent of his shots from the floor in each season at Villanova, but is going well beyond even those numbers this season. Hart is hitting 57.3 percent of his field goal attempts and burying 46.7 percent of his threes through 10 games. In addition to that, he is leading the team in rebounding and assists, showing that Villanova has a legitimate chance to repeat.
Last Year’s Meeting
If Temple is going to win this game and be crowned the champions of Philadelphia, the Owls need to shut down Hart. The good news for Temple fans is that is precisely what this team did last season.
When these teams last met, the Owls completely shut down Hart and he posted one of the worst games of his career. Hart went just 2-9 from the floor, managing just 4 points on the day, and couldn’t find his rhythm against this defense.
Instead it was Kris Jenkins and Jalen Brunson that had to carry the day for the Wildcats, while Hart struggled. Jenkins and Brunson combined for 40 points and led Nova to a 16-point victory over the Owls in the process. Hart and Jenkins are both seniors this year and would love nothing more than to go out with a final victory over a Philly rival here.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
The Owls are capable of playing solid basketball, but don’t always show it. Against a big-time rival like Nova though, you can bet the Owls are going to play their hearts out. Take a look at the odds at BookMaker.eu before wagering, but Temple is going to give Nova a game and might pull the upset.
College Basketball Odds: Villanova 78, Temple 75
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