Temple vs. Tulsa Predictions, Picks & Odds Week 5: Golden Hurricane Favored in AAC Matchup

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26 September 2023

Temple vs. Tulsa Predictions, Picks & Odds Week 5: Golden Hurricane Favored in AAC Matchup

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane host the Temple Owls as we make the best Temple-Tulsa prediction based on the leading college football odds from our best sports betting apps.

The Golden Hurricane picked up a 22-14 comeback win over the Northern Illinois Huskies in Week 4. They were 3.5-point underdogs and scored the final 13 points to secure the victory.

Meanwhile, the Miami Hurricanes destroyed the Owls 41-7. Temple has been outscored 77-14 by Power 5 teams, but it's won both of its other contests.

Here is our best Temple-Tulsa prediction and our college football picks (odds via our best college football betting sites; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Temple vs. Tulsa prediction: Week 5

Tulsa -3.5 (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐

This is a really interesting matchup. Both squads suffered blowout losses against powerful opponents when no one gave the underdog a chance. However, each side has won matchups against equal or better opposition so far in 2023. On paper, these two teams look equal, but the Golden Hurricane hold a pretty clear advantage in a few areas.

First, they love to run the football. They’re averaging 170.5 yards per game, and that’s despite managing just 75 against the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 3. Tulsa can target the Owls’ defensive weakness. They’re allowing 195.3 yards per game on the ground, and even Norfolk State ran for 130 against them.

Second, while the Owls look like they maintain a clear passing edge, a deeper dive into the stats shows that’s not true.

Owls’ quarterback EJ Warner has been very consistent while throwing for between 230 and 292 yards in all four of his games, and he's also notched at least one touchdown pass in every contest. But while the Golden Hurricane are allowing 302.0 passing yards per outing, they've also played two of the best quarterbacks in college football in Dillon Gabriel and Michael Penix Jr.

The Golden Hurricane are going to control the clock at home and keep Warner off the field for long stretches. Their pass defense is better than it looks on paper, and they’ll thrive against a one-dimensional Owls offense.

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Temple vs. Tulsa best odds

All of our best sportsbooks are offering the same spread for the same price. Therefore, there's no reason to pick one sportsbook over the other if you’re only betting the spread.

However, if you're interested in making a parlay, do it at Caesars. We expect the Under to hit during this game, and Caesars is currently offering the best price for Under 54.5 points.

Temple vs. Tulsa odds

The Golden Hurricane opened as 3.5-point favorites, but the line has dropped 2.5 points in two days. The Golden Hurricane are drawing 74% of the bets, which means oddsmakers are ignoring the public. But it’s hard to see what oddsmakers love so much about the Owls. We don’t believe this spread will drop below the key number. But if you want to wait to bet the Golden Hurricane, it won’t cost you more than a half-point if things move differently.

As for the total, the number opened at 54.5 and it's stayed there. Currently, 61% of wagers are backing the Under. The total may move to 54 or 53.5, but we don’t see it shifting any further.