Can Temple Defy South Florida in the NCAAF Betting Odds in Week 4?

Can Temple Defy South Florida in the NCAAF Betting Odds in Week 4?

Written by on September 19, 2017

Now under the direction of first-year head coach Geoff Collins, the rebuilding Temple Owls will try to defy the NCAAF Betting Odds for Week 4 against the 17th-ranked South Florida Bulls, and their own first-year head coach Charlie Strong. If you’re looking to find out which one of these big-time bowl game hopefuls is offering the best value for their quickly-approaching match-up, check out our analysis and NCAAF lines for Temple vs. USF. The Owls and Bulls will throw down a show on Thursday night, from Raymond James Stadium (home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

Temple Owls vs. South Florida Bulls NCAAF Betting Odds & Game Prediction

When: Thursday, September 21, 2017 at 7:30 PM ET Where: Raymond James Stadium NCAAF Betting Odds: USF Bulls -19 Total: 58.5 TV: ESPN

Series History

  • Total Meetings: 3
  • First Meeting: USF 28 – Temple 37 (2012)
  • Last Meeting: USF 30 – Temple 46
  • All-Time Series: Temple 2-1
  • Largest Margin of Victory: USF +21
  • Current Win Streak: Temple W1

Louisville Are Huge Favorites in the NCAAF Lines vs. Kent State

Why took the Temple Owls NCAAF Betting Odds at +19?

Temple improved to 2-1 on the season by getting past UMass 29-21 in Week 3 despite failing to cover the college football betting line as a 14.5-point home favorite. Quarterback Logan Marchi completed 22 of 37 passes for 248 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. In three games this season, the Owls’ signal-caller has yet to throw an interception while passing for 767 yards with five touchdowns. Running back Ryquell Armstead rushed for a team-high 91 yards on 17 carries and Marchi tossed TD passes to wide receivers, Keith Kirkwood, Isaiah Wright and Adonis Jennings in the win. Defensively, Temple held UMass to a modest 81 rushing yards and 4 for 12 success on third downs. Now, the Owls take on a South Florida team that is absolutely explosive offensive and locked in on its mission of winning its first ever conference championship. “They have tremendous athletes across the board — a big, physical offensive line and a dynamic quarterback who can hurt you with his arm and hurt you with his legs,” Temple coach Geoff Collins said Monday. “They’re a complete offense.

South Florida is the favorite against the Temple.

Why took the South Florida Bulls NCAAF Betting Odds at -19?

South Florida pounded Illinois unmercifully in its 47-23 Week 3 win to easily cash in as a 16.5-point home favorite. Dual threat quarterback and 2016 American Athletic Conference offensive player of the year, Quinton Flowers completed 15 of 25 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns while adding his 32nd career rushing touchdown to tie Marlon Mack’s school record. “We can still improve,” head coach Charlie Strong said, “but offensively it was a major step for us. Offensively we hadn’t produced like that,” in the first two games.

How Well Did Flowers Do in the Last Game?

Flowers connected with four different receivers on his scoring tosses in the win and rushed for a team-high 106 yards while running backs Darius Tice added 105 rushing yards and one touchdown and fellow running back D’Ernest Johnson added 101 rushing yards in the convincing win. As good as the Bulls have been offensively, Strong says his defensive players are looking to make their own statement this season. “They’ve heard a lot about the defense and what they didn’t do,” Strong said Monday. “Now they’re working hard to prove to everyone what they can do.”

Statistic Head to Head

Total Score: Owls 20.3 / Bulls 40 Passing Yards: Owls 263.3 / Bulls 241 Rushing Yards: Owls 94.3 / Bulls 281.3 Time on Field: Owls 30:27 / Bulls 34:08 Number of Plays: Owls 68.7 / Bulls 93.3 Yards per Play: Owls 5.1 / Bulls 5.6

Latest Betting Trends for NCAAF Week 4

-Temple is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games -Temple is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games -The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Temple’s last 6 games on the road -South Florida is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games -South Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games -The total has gone OVER in 12 of South Florida’s last 17 games

Final Analysis and Prediction

South Florida suffered one of its two losses last season to temple, losing 46-30 a year ago, but that loss came under completely different circumstances as temple was being coached by now Baylor head coach Matt Rhule and South Florida was being led by now, Oregon head coach Willie Taggart. Now, the Bulls are clearly the better and more experienced team and will win this Week 4 matchup because of it. Temple has gone 0-4 ATS in their last four games while South Florida is 11-4-1 ATS in their last 16 home games and 4-0 ATS in their last four games against a team with a winning record. South Florida was able to have its way offensively against Illinois and defensive-minded head coach Lovie Smith and I believe they’re going to do throttle a Temple Owls team that is mostly young and inexperienced on both sides of the ball. The 19-point spread may look a bit daunting, but I like South Florida and their explosive offense to cover it! NCAAF Betting Odds Pick: South Florida -19