MetroBet takes a glance at two key games on the college basketball slate for Wednesday night.
Connecticut Huskies at Temple Owls (-4)
Moneyline: Huskies +155, Owls -175
Betting Total: 146.5 points
Time (Eastern), TV: 6 p.m., CBSSN
The Connecticut Huskies (13-9) have prevailed in four of their last five meetings with the Temple Owls (16-6), but there’s reason to believe in the home team on Wednesday night as UConn simply hasn’t traveled well this season.
The Huskies are 12-2 at home this year and 1-7 everywhere else. The record is reflected in the scoring stats, as UConn has a plus-7.6 point differential overall but a minus-5.5 point differential in road tilts. The Huskies could be without guard Alterique Gilbert (13 points per game, third on the team) for a third straight contest as he continues to nurse a shoulder injury. They could have really used Gilbert in a 73-67 loss to UCF on Thursday, though they survived without him against an overmatched ECU squad on Sunday.
UConn must also see how star senior guard Jalen Adams (17.7 points per game) responds after being benched on Sunday by coach Dan Hurley. After missing his first six shots and committing “a pair of defensive breakdowns” early in the second half, Adams was subbed out then walked away from his coach as he was attempting to lecture him.
“His game was over at that point,” Hurley told the New Haven Register afterwards. “As a senior, you have a responsibility to set a great example for your teammates about accepting coaching and playing the right way.”
As for the Owls, they bounced back after a tough loss to Houston on Thursday by handling Tulane, evening their record over a two-game road trip. Guard Shizz Alston Jr. had one of his best performances of the season (29 points) after being limited to just six points against the Cougars. Look for him to lead the way to a win and cover.
The play: Temple spread
Creighton Jays at Villanova Wildcats (-9)
Moneyline: Jays +345, Wildcats -415
Betting Total: 151.5 points
Time (Eastern), TV: 8 p.m., CBSSN
The 13th-ranked Villanova Wildcats (18-4) should take care of business against a mediocre Creighton Jays (13-9) team on Wednesday night.
Jay Wright’s guys have covered in seven of their last eight meetings with the Jays, including a 90-78 road victory on Jan. 13. The Wildcats are currently riding a six-game streak against the spread and have won 10 straight overall.
Guards Phil Booth and Collin Gillespie, both of whom are shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc, can make it rain buckets over a Creighton crew that allows 82.8 points per road game. The opposition is making threes on them at a 40.6 percent clip.
Nova’s defense should keep Jays guard Ty-Shon Alexander (17 points per game) in check as they cruise to a convincing victory.
The play: Villanova spread
