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On Friday, the Temple Owls (0-1) will host the (#16) Villanova Wildcats (1-0) in a cross-town rivalry game. After 21 seasons at the helm for the Wildcats, Jay Wright has moved on as the head coach for Villanova. Former Villanova assistant and head coach of Fordham, Kyle Neptune, will take the reins in the wake of Wright stepping away. The duo of Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels have departed the program, and Justin Moore (Achilles) is on the mend, but a slew of rotational pieces and starters from last season's team have filled in nicely. The Wildcats won their first game without Wright 81-68 over La Salle. Seniors Caleb Daniels and Eric Dixon, an integral part of the Wildcats' Final Four run last March, scored a combined 44 points on 57% from the field.
Temple will be looking for a bounce-back season after losing star guard Khalif Battle to injury early last year. Battle returns for another season in Philadelphia, as does fellow double-digit scorer Damien Dunn. Although Temple brought back most of their firepower from last season, they dropped their home opener 76-73 to Wagner in overtime. The Owls closed as a 17-point favorite.
Villanova vs. Temple Betting Odds
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ShotQuality Tale of the Tape
Per ShotQuality data, the spread is right on the money. The data is provided, yet it's up to the reader to paint a picture. The Owls were an impressive offensive unit last year, posting a well above-average 1.08 AdjOFF SQ (if you still need to learn what this is, click the link). They thrived in transition, forcing fouls and finding open shooters. However, the Wildcats were stout in both categories, posting a defensive free throw rate of 25.3% and an open three rate of 13.2%, ranking in the top 50 in the NCAA. Temple floundered in half-court spacing, as did the Nova defense, but they also strumbled in the shot-making percentile, another strength of their opponent.
The Owls' defense posted an alarming 1.06 AdjDEF SQ. They struggled with spacing, a massive strength for the Wildcats. Temple also had issues with fouls and open three rates, neither of which is a calling card for Villanova. Looking more in-depth at the shot-type data, the Owls match well with what the 'Cats are trying to accomplish. They are impressive in the half-court and post-up game, something their opponents will try to do on the offensive end on Friday.
Villanova vs. Temple Prediction
The Owls botched their season opener last Monday. Struggling against Wagner is one thing, but losing outright is a tough pill to swallow. One work week cannot solve their defensive woes with a talented Wildcats team coming to town. Like many teams in the past, it doesn't help that this season's Wildcats team is anchored by returning veterans and maturing prospects that fill the roles of those before them.
Prediction: Villanova -5 (-110)
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