The Memphis Tigers take on the Temple Owls in Philadelphia, PA. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Memphis is favored by 8.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -400. The total is set at 156.5 points.
Here’s my Memphis vs. Temple predictions and college basketball picks for January 16, 2025.
Memphis vs Temple Prediction
My Pick: Memphis -7.5 (Play to -8)
My Memphis vs Temple best bet is on the Tigers spread, with the best odds currently available at BetRivers. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Memphis vs Temple Odds, Spread, Pick
| Memphis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 156.5 -110 / -110 | -400 |
| Temple Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 156.5 -110 / -110 | +320 |
- Memphis vs Temple spread: Memphis -8.5
- Memphis vs Temple over/under: 156.5 points
- Memphis vs Temple moneyline: Memphis -400, Temple +320
- Memphis vs Temple best bet: Memphis -7.5 (Play to -8)
My Memphis vs Temple College Basketball Betting Preview
Has Memphis gotten lackadaisical as of late?
The Tigers won their previous two games (against North Texas and East Carolina) by a combined eight points. Now, the Mean Green are a potential sleeper in the AAC, but the Pirates are only 1-4 in the conference and .500 overall. Plus, both games were at the FedExForum.
I don’t blame Memphis if that is indeed the case, though. The Tigers are by far the best team in the AAC, and when your talent and athleticism is much better than your opponents on a consistent basis, it can become easy to set yourself into cruise control.
But Memphis doesn’t want to play with fire. The Tigers have already built a marquee NCAA Tournament resume; however, they do already have a Quad 3 loss against Arkansas State.
I expect them to come out fully focused in this game, similar to how they played in their first AAC road game against FAU.
Most importantly, the Tigers’ pressure defense and length could be a major problem for Temple’s star Jamal Mashburn Jr. And if you “cut off the head of the snake,” the Owls may have issues scoring, especially because Memphis has a strong shot blocker in the middle in Moussa Cisse.
The Owls also won’t have their full arsenal for this game, as Lynn Greer III has been suspended indefinitely. While the guard is averaging less than five points a game, the senior would’ve provided an extra ball-handler and experienced scorer behind Mashburn and company.
I’ll take Memphis and ride a potential National Player of the Year candidate in PJ Haggerty, along with Colby Rogers and Tyrese Hunter.
