NCAA Hoops Betting Preview: Temple Owls at (23) Cincinnati Bearcats

Temple at (23) Cincinnati
Time: 9 PM ET, Jan 14, 2013
Spread: CIN -14.5

Betting odds courtesy of Bovada

The Cincinnati Bearcats are 15-2 on the season and have won its past eight games. The squad will host a 5-9 Temple squad Tuesday night in a game college basketball oddsmakers at Bovada are favoring the home team Bearcats by 14.5-points. Cincy last played Jan 11 and defeated Rutgers 71-51, and the team has yet to lose in AAC play.

The Bearcats are led by 6’4″ senior guard Sean Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick has averaged 18.4 points per game this season and has increased his efficiency slightly from last season when he shot under 40 percent from the floor. This year he’s hitting 41.9 percent and connecting on 32.5 percent from behind the arc. Kilpatrick has averaged 17 points per game over the last past five contests, though he shot just 3-of-13 from the floor in the win over Rutgers.

Senior forward Justin Jackson has also been big on the interior for Cincy. The 6’8″ senior from Cocoa Beach, Florida is averaging 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and he notched a nice 15 point, 10 rebound double-double in the win over Nebraska on Dec 28. In the two Bearcats losses this season, Jackson averaged just 5.5 rebounds per game, so his success on the boards may be instrumental towards victory.

Temple has lost its past four contests to Rutgers, UCF, USF and then-No. 24 Memphis. The Owls have had no problem scoring (77.5 points per game), but the defense has been abysmal.

Temple is led offensively by Dalton Pepper, Will Cummings and Quenton DeCosey who combine to average 49.3 points per game (63 percent of Temple’s offense). Pepper, a 6’5″ senior guard, has been inconsistent, but very good. He scored 24 in the loss to Memphis on 8-of-16 shooting. Temple can fill it up, they just have to find a way to get stops.