College Football ATS Picks - UMass at Temple Game Preview

For as heated of a basketball rivalry as this is, the Massachusetts Minutemen and the Temple Owls have only met on the football field once. Temple squeaked past UMass 25-23 two seasons ago in a game that was much closer than people expected. The Owls needed a last second field goal in order to get the win, but the close loss sent a message that UMass football was legit. Now UMass gets a chance to claim a signature program building win against a close rival.

This matchup in Week 3 of the regular season will take place on Friday, September 15, 2017,

at 7 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu

UMass +12
Temple -12

Odds Analysis

This will be the second time that these two teams square off in an NFL stadium that will be virtually empty. When UMass hosted Temple two seasons ago, the school did so in Gillette Stadium, home of the Patriots. Maybe a few thousand people saw that game and about that many will see this one in Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Eagles.

Temple is off to a shaky start this season. The Owls were blown out by Notre Dame and failed to cover in their opener and just barely beat FCS Villanova in a Philadelphia showdown. They are 0-2 ATS, but this line opened at 10 and quickly moved to 12 as gamblers liked hopping on the Owls at this price.

UMass is the only team in the country that is 0-3 at this point in the season. The Minutemen have played three of the worst FBS teams in the nation, but have yet to record a win or even a cover, despite being favored in two of those games. The losses to FBS newcomers Coastal Carolina and Old Dominion really sting and make it very difficult for this team to have a shot at making a bowl in 2017.

Coaching Angle

After Matt Rhule left for Baylor following last season, Temple needed a new head coach. The Owls looked far and wide to try to find someone to fit their system, but made a curious decision when they decided to hire Geoff Collins.

Collins had been a college coach in the southeast for two decades before he took the head job with the Owls. That raised questions about whether or not he could recruit in the area considering Temple won’t be able to get high profile, or any other, recruits from the south.

However, he does have a great defensive mind and was fantastic as a coordinator at both Mississippi State and Florida. That fits in well with the Temple mindset, but the defense has not played well through the first two games. The defense will need to perform well against one of the softest offenses in the country this time around.

Player to Watch

Despite not having an offensive line that is capable of protecting him, Andrew Ford has been decent as UMass’ quarterback. Ford has thrown for over 230 yards in each game, while completing over 60 percent of his passes, and has thrown just one interception. He hasn’t been able to break through and find a win yet this season, but the feeling is that he’s close. However, he needs to be able to stay healthy. He takes a lot of hits because of the woes on the lines.

Free ATS Pick

This Temple team is really struggling without Rhule to guide the way. The Owls barely limped by Villanova last week and have been listless on offense. UMass doesn’t have a great defense, but Temple has not proved that it can move the ball at all. Look for the Minutemen to get the cover and perhaps even the outright win.

College Football Odds: Owls 27, Minutemen 24

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