Teams looking to get back on track meet when the Temple Owls battle the Elon Phoenix in the seventh-place game at the 2021 Charleston Classic on Sunday morning. The Owls (1-3), who finished tied for eighth at 4-10 in the American Athletic Conference and were 5-11 overall in 2020-21, lost to Boise State 82-62 on Friday. The Phoenix (2-3), who placed eighth in the Colonial Athletic Association at 4-7 and were 10-9 overall a year ago, dropped a 74-56 decision to Ole Miss. Temple has lost three in a row, while Elon is on a two-game losing streak.
Tip-off from TD Arena in Charleston, S.C., is set for 10:30 a.m. ET. This will be the first meeting between the teams. The Owls are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Temple vs. Elon odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 135. Before making any Elon vs. Temple picks, make sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting analysis from the red-hot SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has locked in on Temple vs. Elon and released its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Temple vs. Elon:
- Elon vs. Temple spread: Temple -4.5
- Elon vs. Temple over-under: 135 points
- Elon: The Phoenix are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against a team with a losing straight-up record
- TEM: The Owls are 9-4-1 in their last 14 games following an against-the-spread loss
Why Elon can cover
Despite dropping the first two games in the tournament, the Phoenix have shown balance this season with four players averaging in double figures. Leading the way is junior guard Zac Ervin, who is averaging 14.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He is connecting on 40 percent of his 3-pointers and 88.2 percent of his free throws. Ervin scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds in 25 minutes of action against Ole Miss on Friday, making his fourth consecutive double-digit scoring night.
Also powering Elon is sophomore guard Darius Burford, who is averaging 12.6 points per game. He is connecting on 45.3 percent of his field goals, including 40 percent from 3-point range. He is also grabbing 5.8 rebounds and dishing out 3.6 assists. Burford led Elon with 16 points and added four assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes against Ole Miss.
Why Temple can cover
The Owls have dropped the first two games of the tournament for the first time in the four years they have been coming to the event. Temple has not lost all three games of an in-season tournament since the 1976 Rainbow Classic. It is also the first time the Owls have played in a seventh-place game since the 2007 Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic. Sophomore guard Khalif Battle continues to lead the team in scoring, averaging 17.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, and last year he was named third-team All-American Athletic Conference.
Also powering Temple is redshirt freshman Damian Dunn, who is averaging 11.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Dunn scored a season-high 18 points in the opener against Maryland-Eastern Shore, making 6-of-13 from the field and all five free throws. He was held to just six points against Boise State. Last season, he finished second on the team and 10th in the AAC in scoring at 13.5 points per game.
How to make Elon vs. Temple picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting 134 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Temple vs. Elon? And which side of the spread hits well over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $2,100 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
