Nevada vs Temple Odds, Pick
| Nevada Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -115 | 147.5 -110o / -110u | -400 |
| Temple Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -105 | 147.5 -110o / -110u | +310 |
In the Diamond Head Classic opener, the Temple Owls face the Nevada Wolf Pack. Here's Nevada vs. Temple odds and a pick for Thursday.
Nevada Wolf Pack
As for Nevada, it already played one game in Hawaii, against the Rainbow Warriors on Sunday. The Wolf Pack narrowly escaped with a win as star guard Kenan Blackshear shot just 5-for-18 from the floor. He took good shots, his typical mid-range looks, but many didn't fall. I'm expecting more from Blackshear against the Owls.
Moreover, the Wolf Pack are elite at generating contact and getting to the free-throw line. Nevada boasts a 47.7% free-throw rate, which makes sense given Nevada's length and athleticism. Steve Alford's team wants to put pressure on the defense and if Nevada is able to do so, Temple will be in serious danger.
Temple starts 6-foot-10, 180-pound Steve Settle and 6-foot-5, 280-pound Sam Hofman in the frontcourt. Nevada can exploit Settle's lack of size and Hofman's lack of quickness. The Owls' depth is questionable, so Temple might have to live with Nevada getting decent inside looks.
Nevads is a low volume perimeter shooting team, as three of the five starters rarely shoot the ball. Starting four-man Nick Davidson shot the ball well last year, but is shooting below 25% from deep this year. The best thing about Nevada's shooting? It's highly aware of its personnel. That's why it's so low volume from deep.
Temple Owls
Temple loves playing tightly contested games. The Owls are 6-4 and all but two games have been within single digits.
The Owls' offense leaves a lot of room for improvement. Temple shoots 45.9% from the floor and 30% from deep. Only Matteo Picarelli and Hofman shoot over 35% from deep. The team lacks consistency and opponents can just run a 2-3 zone and force Temple to hit perimeter shots.
The offense relies on breakout guard Hysier Miller, who's averaging 18.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.
It's also worth noting that Temple played without starter Jahlil White for a month. While the 6-foot-7 wing isn't much of a shooter, he's a double-double threat every night and should help improve Temple's defense. He scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in last week's loss to VCU.
Nevada vs. Temple
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Owls don't get blown out, and Nevada doesn't run teams out of the gym. I expect Nevada to lead for most of the game, but it should be close enough for Temple to cover. Plus, if Temple finally starts connecting on 3s, Nevada could end up playing from behind. Take the points.
Pick: Temple +9
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