Temple vs USF Expert College Football Picks Against the Spread 11/7/2019

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Raymond James Stadium

Raymond James Stadium is the site where Jordan McCloud and the USF Bulls will play the Temple Owls on Thursday. USF opens this matchup as 3-point dogs. The Owls are 4-4-0 ATS and 5-3-0 when betting on the total. The Bulls are 4-3-1 when wagering on the over/under and 5-3-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the Temple Owls played the UCF Knights and lost 63-21. Leading the way at QB for the Owls was Anthony Russo who went 12/24 with 199 yards passing and threw 2 TD's. He tossed 2 picks in the game. Re'Mahn Davis paced the team in rushing for the game. He tore off a long run of 14 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He scurried for 26 yards on 12 carries which meant he was running for 2.2 yards per run. Branden Mack was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 104 yards on 5 catches. He had an average of 20.8 yards per catch for the game. The Owls ended up running the ball 40 times and earned a total of 45 yards which gave them an average of 1.1 yards per run. In the game, they ran 71 plays which gave them a total of 266 yards. For the game, the Owls earned a total of 12 first downs and they had a total of 6 penalties for 32 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. On the defensive side of the ball, Temple gave up 12 completions on 23 attempts totaling 229 yards, and a completion percentage of 52.2%. Against the run, the Owls gave up 385 yards on 48 runs which is an average of 8.0 yards per run allowed. For this contest, they gave up 614 yards and forced 1 takeaway.

The Owls step onto the field holding a record of 5-3 in 2019. For total yardage, they rank 9th in the American Athletic Conference and 87th in Division 1 with 3,221 yards. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation with an average of 27.6 points per game, ranking them 76th in Division 1. As a team, they have an average of 138.9 yards on the ground per contest which is 10th in the American Athletic Conference. The Owls have one of the average defenses in the nation, allowing 27.8 points per contest which has them at 6th in the American Athletic Conference. When it comes to passing yards, the Owls have allowed 2,110 yards. Teams are completing 50.9% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. In discussing rushing yards, Temple is allowing 167.8 yards per game which has them at 6th in the American Athletic Conference and 77th in D-1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4 yards per carry putting them 5th in the American Athletic Conference and 52nd in college football overall. In total, they have conceded 1,342 yards rushing through 8 games.

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In their last game, the USF Bulls faced the East Carolina Pirates and earned the win by a score of 45-20. Jordan Cronkrite led the team in rushing for the game. His longest run of the day went for 39 yards and he ran for 2 touchdowns for the game. He racked up a total of 129 yards via 12 carries which meant he was running for 10.8 yards per carry. Randall St. Felix was the leader in receiving yardage by earning 79 yards on 5 receptions. He had an average of 15.8 yards per reception for the game. Running the show from under center for the Bulls was Jordan McCloud who went 9/12 with 102 yards passing and tossed 2 touchdowns. He walked away with no picks. The Bulls rushed the ball a total of 40 times and earned 347 yards earning them an average of 8.7 yards per carry. Overall, they ran 65 plays for 525 yards. On the day, the Bulls earned 27 first downs and they had a total of 13 penalties for 124 yards which is telling in terms of discipline. When it comes to their defensive performance, USF allowed 19 catches on 29 tries totaling 222 yards, and a completion percentage of 65.5%. On the ground, the Bulls allowed 102 yards on 38 carries which is an average of 2.7 yards per rushing attempt allowed. For this contest, they gave up a total of 324 yards and earned 2 turnovers.

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The Bulls come into this matchup with a record of 4-4. In discussing the offensive production, the Bulls have one of the middle tier offenses in Division 1. USF has made teams respect their running game by averaging 180.8 yards on the ground per game, putting them 52nd in the country. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 1,446 yards rushing through 8 contests, so they will want to continue to try to improve on the run game so opponents will have to respect all facets of the game. The Bulls average 353.6 yards per game overall ranking them 101st in the country and 11th in the AAC. The Bulls are allowing 28.4 points per contest which puts them at 7th in the AAC and 73rd in the country. Their passing defense is one of the most dominate units in the nation. They are allowing 185.6 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Bulls are currently ranked 1st in the AAC. In terms of points given up, they have allowed 227 points in total. In terms of yards rushing, they are allowing 199.3 yards per game which puts them at 104th in D-1 and 9th in the American Athletic Conference. For this season, they have allowed 1,594 yards rushing and 18.4 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Owls/Bulls college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Owls -3

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