The AAC spotlight shifts to Friday night in Week 13 as the 3-7 Temple Owls head to the Alamodome to face the 5-5 UTSA Roadrunners, with bowl eligibility hanging in the balance for the home team.
Who comes out on top? Our Temple vs. UTSA prediction breaks it all down—from the latest betting odds to what’s at stake for both teams as they close out the 2024 college football season.
Temple vs. USTA Betting Preview
All Temple vs. UTSA odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. The CFN Spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.
- CFN FPM Spread
UTSA -10 - Spread
UTSA -17 - Moneyline
UTSA -800, Temple +550 - Over/Under
56.5 points - Game time
7 p.m. ET - Location
Alamodome | San Antonio, TX - Predicted Weather at Kick
51 degrees, clear, 6 mph winds - How to Watch
ESPN2
Last year saw the first-ever matchup between the two teams following the Roadrunners’ transition to the AAC. UTSA clipped the Owls’ wings with a 49-34 win in Philadelphia, but the line for this game demonstrates the folly of expecting such a high-scoring affair this time around. Yet, seven of UTSA’s 10 games and half of Temple’s games in 2024 have covered the points line.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
UTSA is a comfortable favorite on Friday night, and while that hasn’t always been the best situation for the Roadrunners this year, they should be able to get their sixth win of the year. However, they’ve not been as good at covering the spread (4-6) as Temple (5-5) has. The CFN FPM spread is almost a full score different from DraftKings, and our prediction falls between them.
Temple’s Winning Probability
According to the CFN FPM, Temple has just a 22.6% chance of beating UTSA on Friday night. The Owls have endured a torrid season, resulting in the replacement of Stan Drayton as their head coach, and our metric predicts a difficult start for interim HC Everett Withers.
Here are the win probabilities for the final two games of the Temple football season:
- at UTSA: 22.6%
- vs. North Texas: 36.4%
If those win probabilities were to hold true, the Owls would end the year with a 3-9 record, including a 2-6 AAC campaign. That would actually be their best in-conference record since 2019, but Temple will have gone 3-9 in each of their last four seasons.
UTSA’s Winning Probability
Conversely, UTSA has a 77.4% chance of beating the Owls on Friday night. Our metric projected the Roadrunners’ win last time out, making them a greater favorite than the official odds. However, they’ve been a difficult team to predict this fall.
Here are the win probabilities for the final two games of the UTSA football season:
- vs. Temple: 77.4%
- at Army: 17%
If those win probabilities were to hold true, the Roadrunners would end the year with a 6-6 record, including a 4-4 AAC campaign. While not a vintage year for a program that has elevated expectations of itself in recent years, it would mark a fifth-successive season with bowl eligibility under Jeff Traylor.
Prediction for Temple vs. UTSA
Temple was a dominant force in the AAC during the mid-to-late 2010s, with Matt Rhule transforming the Owls into a top-25 program. However, the glory days feel far removed as recent seasons have been unkind.
Following a narrow victory over an equally struggling Florida Atlantic team, head coach Stan Drayton was relieved of his duties. Now, the spotlight shifts to interim coach Everett Withers as the program begins its search for a new leader.
Can the Owls rally to secure a win under Withers, or will the season continue to unravel?
So, who has the edge in this matchup, and where will the pivotal moments unfold?
Their next challenge comes against a UTSA team that’s also a shadow of its former self in the post-Frank Harris era. The Roadrunners have stumbled this season, losing more conference games than they did in the past three years combined.
Sitting precariously on the edge of bowl eligibility after entering the season as preseason favorites to contend for the AAC title, they desperately need a win to salvage what’s left of their campaign.
For the Roadrunners, inconsistency has been the story of the season. Their once-dynamic offense, a hallmark of the Frank Harris years, has struggled to find rhythm. Quarterback Owen McCown has been solid, passing for 2,743 yards and 22 touchdowns, but he lacks the dual-threat capabilities that made Harris so dangerous, particularly in the red zone.
Without that added layer of mobility, the offense has been one-dimensional at times.
That said, when UTSA’s offense is clicking, it remains as potent as ever. Running backs Robert Henry and Kevorian Barnes are the keys to their success, and they have an excellent opportunity to shine against a Temple rushing defense that has been a liability all season.
The Owls have surrendered the third-most rushing touchdowns (26) and the second-most yards per carry in the AAC this year, setting the stage for a potentially dominant performance from UTSA’s backfield.
Temple’s defensive struggles have been glaring in 2024, allowing 35 points per game—ranking 121st out of 134 FBS programs. Despite standout linebacker D.J. Woodbury leading the conference in solo tackles, the Owls’ defense has been overwhelmed by high-powered offenses, with lopsided losses to Oklahoma, Army, East Carolina, and Tulane highlighting their shortcomings.
Defensively, the Roadrunners have had their own woes, giving up 32 points per game this season. However, Temple’s offensive struggles mean UTSA likely won’t pay the price.
Wide receiver Dante Wright has been a bright spot for the Owls and should find the end zone at least once, but the fact that Temple’s kicker accounts for 28.8% of their total points underscores the offense’s limitations.
Without more firepower, the Owls could find themselves outmatched once again.
Prediction: UTSA 34, Temple 23
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