No longer undefeated, the Temple Owls dropped their first game of the year on Saturday against Notre Dame, though they still managed to cover the spread and keep the score within a touchdown. Temple will look to rebound on Friday night against a much weaker SMU team that’s just 1-7, having dropped six straight and four of five ATS.
ODDS
Temple opened as the 14-point favorites against the struggling Mustangs, but bettors proved weary against such a large spread and the number has since dropped to 12.5-points. The total has also fallen to 55.5 since opening at 58.5.
The Owls have performed well ATS. They’re 4-1 ATS in their last five both overall and on the road.
The Mustangs, on the other hand, are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games and just 2-5 ATS in their last seven in conference.
WHEN THE TEMPLE OWLS HAVE THE BALL
The under is always a strong bet with the Owls, their offense has managed 30.8 PPG, but some of that is a result of their defense giving them great field position. They rank No. 113 overall with just 339.5 total yards per game and are below average both on the ground and in the air.
Running back Jahad Thomas is the heart and soul of this offense, rushing for 904 yards and 13 touchdowns. Thomas played against Notre Dame and delivered some nice runs, but is nursing a rib injury.
Thomas was essential to the Owls having any chance against a top-10 team, but he’s a bit less essential against SMU. Thomas is expected to play, but keep an eye on how he’s used early.
If the Owls look to Ryquell Armstead or David Hood a bit more early—or even allow quarterback P.J. Walker to run more—don’t expect the Temple offense to be able to break away from the Mustangs for the blowout win.
In the air, the Walker completed just 43.3 percent of his passes against the Irish. He’s a serviceable quarterback, completing 57.3 percent of his passes overall and posting a 10:4 touchdown to interception ratio. He’s thrown for a touchdown in seven straight games.
WHEN THE SMU MUSTANGS HAVE THE BALL
Temple’s defense ranks ninth in college football, allowing just 15.8 PPG. Against a team that’s 1-7 this year, that seems to be a telling stat, but it’s not the offense that’s sunk Southern Methodist, it’s the defense.
The offense put up 31-points against Tulsa, but they did so on the arm of quarterback Matt Davis who threw three touchdowns and connected with Courtland Sutton for eight receptions, 165 yards and two touchdowns.
Tulsa’s defense controlled the SMU running game, limiting their backs to just three yards per carry.
Statistically, the passing game is strong behind Davis who has 14 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He’s also the team’s leading rusher with 450 yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
We’ve seen that the Mustangs running game can be quieted so keep an eye on how Temple is able to cover Sutton. The freshman receiver is Davis’s best target with nearly twice the receptions as the next most used receiver. He’s also got 719 yards and nine touchdowns, the next most receiving yards is 226 by Ryheem Malone.
If the Owls are able to force Davis to look elsewhere other than Sutton, jump on Temple to beat the spread, particularly if SMU is able to snake an early score. If, however, Sutton is able to get open look for SMU to cover.
BETTING TRENDS AND MATCHUPS
Normally you don’t see letdowns off a loss, but there’s a chance the Owls have a bit of a letdown following a hard fought battle against Notre Dame. It was an extremely physical game against the Fighting Irish and although they gained 172 fewer yards and lost by four, it could still be chalked up as a moral victory as the team was in the game until a costly pick.
Temple has been one of the biggest surprises all year and it’s possible that the magic wears off, but the Owls have played sound football.
The last time these teams met, SMU actually won the game, 59-49 back in 2013. That was quite a high scoring game, which is common for the Mustangs. The over is 13-6 in their last 19 games and 7-1 in their last eight against teams with winning records. On the other side, the Owls tend to play under the total. The under is 4-1 in their last five road games and 7-3 in their last 10 overall.
Given each team’s tendencies, if you’re looking to play the total in live betting, keep a close eye on whether the Mustangs are able to move the ball against Temple’s vaunted defense.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the Temple Owls and SMU Mustangs will take place Friday, November 6, 2015, at 8 p.m. ET at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. You can watch the game live on ESPN2.
