Charleston Cougars vs Temple Owls prediction: Charleston's untested blowouts run into Temple's misfiring three-point habit
Charleston has yet to play a Division I team that counted, and Temple keeps shooting threes it isn't making, so Wednesday shows both teams what they really are.
Charleston Cougars covered the closing spread (Charleston Cougars -1.5). The game went over the closing total of 158.5.
| Spread | Charleston -1.5 |
|---|---|
| Total (over/under) | 158 |
- A near-even game between two rebuilt rosters, decided by whether Temple's high-volume three-point shooting finally starts falling at home.
- Charleston guards Eli Ellis and Tavari Johnson against a Temple perimeter defense allowing 40.5% from three.
- Temple is favored by 0.25 after the line was first seen at pick'em; the total has climbed from 152.5 to 155.5.
Charleston's numbers need translating
Charleston has scored 111 and 112 points in its two games. Neither number says much about Wednesday. The Cougars beat Southern Wesleyan 111-55 and Newberry 112-66, both non-Division I opponents, which is why their early efficiency ranks look like a top-10 team's. Their only look at a Division I opponent came in an Oct. 25 exhibition, an 89-83 win over Furman.
Last season's profile doesn't help much either. Players on this roster logged just 15.1% of Charleston's minutes last season, and first-year coach John Groce opened summer workouts with 11 new faces. Temple returns more, with 34.5% of its minutes back. Last season's final adjusted net ratings (points per 100 possessions, adjusted for opponents) had the programs nearly level: Charleston 172nd nationally, Temple 165th. The market is pricing two mostly new teams, and it has landed almost exactly at even.
Temple keeps firing, keeps missing
Temple has played two Division I opponents, and its offense has struggled. The Owls take 54.9% of their shots from three, 12th-most in the country, and make 24.2% of them, which ranks 343rd. Transfer Jordan Marsh, the team's highest-usage player, is 2 of 15 from deep. Sunday's 79-53 loss to Richmond at the Palestra began with Temple trailing 14-0.
The question is whether that is a slump or the shape of the team. Derrian Ford is the best case for a slump. He averaged 18.1 points last season and made the American's preseason second team, but he has come off the bench in both games and is shooting 31.3% from the field. Cam Scott has been the one guard hitting from outside, scoring a career-high 13 against Richmond on 3-of-4 shooting from three. Coach Adam Fisher hasn't settled on a lineup, and a team this dependent on threes can swing a long way in either direction from one night to the next.
The guards Groce built around
Charleston's rebuild runs through its backcourt. Eli Ellis, a South Carolina transfer and preseason All-CAA first-team pick, is averaging 15.5 points and has made 5 of 8 threes. Tavari Johnson arrived from Akron, where Groce coached before taking this job, and last season there he averaged 19.7 points and shot 37.3% from three. Xavier Abreu, a preseason second-team pick from Northeastern, gives the Cougars a third scorer off the bench.
That group faces a Temple defense that has given up 40.5% from three, 337th nationally. If the Owls can't close out on shooters, Charleston's guards don't need help from anyone else. Inside, Villanova transfer Braden Pierce is blocking 2.0 shots a game, and the Cougars, picked second in the CAA, will try to make Temple's guards finish over him.
A total that keeps climbing
Temple is favored by 0.25 at home. The spread was first seen at 0.0 and has moved slightly toward the Owls. The bigger move came on the total, which has risen from 152.5 to 155.5.
That runs against Temple's early results. The Owls are 0-2 against the spread and went under in both games, failing to cover -14.5 in a 68-56 win over Central Connecticut and losing outright as a 1.75-point underdog to Richmond. Temple plays at 68.8 possessions per 40 minutes, 246th in pace, so the over depends on Charleston speeding the game up and Temple's shooters ending their slump.
Charleston comes in with five days of rest to Temple's three. No injuries were listed for either team as of Nov. 7. The programs have split two previous meetings, and this is their first in Philadelphia.
Charleston Cougars vs Temple Owls line movement and odds
| Book | Cougars ML | Owls ML | Cougars spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | -130 | +105 | -1.5 (-115) | o158.5 (-105) |
| BetRivers | -124 | +100 | -1.5 (-106) | o158.5 (-110) |
| DraftKings | -125 | +105 | -1.5 (-112) | o158.5 (-108) |
| ESPN BET | -130 | +110 | -1.5 (-115) | o158.5 (-105) |
| Fanatics | -135 | +115 | -1.5 (-115) | o158.5 (-115) |
| FanDuel | -126 | +105 | -1.5 (-110) | o157.5 (-114) |
| Hard Rock Bet | -125 | +100 | -1.5 (-105) | o158.5 (-110) |
| Caesars | -125 | +105 | -1.5 (-110) | o158.5 (-110) |
Where the money is on Charleston Cougars vs Temple Owls
On the Kalshi moneyline: Charleston Cougars: 72% of bets, 74% of the money; Temple Owls: 28% of bets, 26% of the money. On the Kalshi spread: Charleston Cougars -1.5: 71% of bets, 78% of the money; Temple Owls +1.5: 29% of bets, 22% of the money. On the Kalshi total: Over 158.5: 54% of bets, 67% of the money; Under 158.5: 46% of bets, 33% of the money.
Key players
- Eli Ellis (Charleston): Averaging 15.5 points on an 86.1% effective field goal percentage, though both games came against non-Division I teams.
- Tavari Johnson (Charleston): Averaged 19.7 points and shot 37.3% from three at Akron last season, and leads Charleston with 4.5 assists a game.
- Xavier Abreu (Charleston): Scoring 10.0 points a game off the bench after averaging 12.6 at Northeastern last season.
- Braden Pierce (Charleston): Blocking 2.0 shots and grabbing 6.0 rebounds a game as the Cougars' interior anchor.
- Derrian Ford (Temple): Averaged 18.1 points last season but is scoring 8.0 a game off the bench this season.
- Jordan Marsh (Temple): Carries a team-high 31.9% usage rate while making 2 of 15 threes.
- Cam Scott (Temple): Co-leads the Owls at 10.0 points per game and has made 4 of 8 from three.
- Baboucarr Njie (Temple): Leads Temple with 8.0 rebounds a game and adds 2.5 blocks.
Numbers that matter
| Temple 3-point % | 24.2% | Ranks 343rd nationally for a team that takes the 12th-highest share of its shots from three. |
|---|---|---|
| Temple opponent 3-point % | 40.5% | Ranks 337th, a soft spot against Charleston's shooting guards. |
| Charleston returning minutes | 15.1% | So little of last season's team remains that its old numbers are a weak guide. |
| Current total | 155.5 | Up from 152.5, even though Temple has gone under in both of its games. |
| Temple spread | -0.25 | Close to even after the line was first seen at pick'em. |
Charleston Cougars vs Temple Owls: quick answers
What was the final score of Charleston Cougars vs Temple Owls?
Charleston Cougars 91, Temple Owls 81 (final). Charleston Cougars covered the closing spread (Charleston Cougars -1.5). The game went over the closing total of 158.5.
Who is favored in Charleston Cougars vs Temple Owls?
Charleston is favored by 1.5 points (Charleston -1.5).
What is the over/under for Charleston Cougars vs Temple Owls?
The total is 158 points.
When is Charleston Cougars vs Temple Owls?
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at 6:30 PM ET.
Has the line moved for Charleston Cougars vs Temple Owls?
Yes: Charleston Cougars opened +1.5 and is now -1.5, and the total moved from 153.5 to 158.5 (consensus of the regulated US sportsbooks since we first saw the game).
Where is the money on Charleston Cougars vs Temple Owls?
On the Kalshi moneyline: Charleston Cougars: 72% of bets, 74% of the money; Temple Owls: 28% of bets, 26% of the money. On the Kalshi spread: Charleston Cougars -1.5: 71% of bets, 78% of the money; Temple Owls +1.5: 29% of bets, 22% of the money. On the Kalshi total: Over 158.5: 54% of bets, 67% of the money; Under 158.5: 46% of bets, 33% of the money.