Game: Temple Owls at Charlotte 49ers 

Date: October 18th at 3:30 PM ET

Where to Watch: ESPN+

This is yet another week of uncertainty for the Charlotte 49ers, as they’ll face Temple at home Saturday afternoon. Temple is currently 1–1 in the American with a 3–3 overall record. Charlotte, meanwhile, has lost all three of its conference games so far and sits at 1–5 on the season. Temple has been a slightly below-average offensive team, ranking 71st in points per game (25.4) and 90th in yards per game (345.8). Their defense mirrors that inconsistency, ranking 94th in points allowed per game (30) and 81st in yards allowed per game (394.6). It’s no surprise that Charlotte remains one of the worst offensive teams in the FBS, ranking 132nd in both points per game (12.8) and yards per game (256). Defensively, they haven’t been much better, sitting 108th in points allowed (32) and 121st in yards allowed (445.4). Temple has already shown it can stay competitive in most games, while Charlotte has yet to prove the same, making this another potentially difficult matchup for the 49ers.

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Weather

This game will feature warmer weather for October, with a high of 79℉ before temperatures dip slightly as the game progresses. Precipitation shouldn’t be a factor, with only a 2% chance of rain, and winds are expected to average around 7 mph with gusts up to 17 mph.

Betting Overview

Temple opened at most books as a 12.5-point favorite, but the line has shifted slightly toward Charlotte, with the Owls now listed as 11.5-point favorites. The moneyline hasn’t moved much, with Temple around -470 and Charlotte at +360. The total has also remained steady at 47.5, with some books ticking up slightly to 48 or 48.5.

Power Ratings

  • ESPN FPI: The Owls rank 95th in ESPN’s FPI, receiving 7.1 points above the FBS average, while Charlotte sits at 133rd, 20.1 points below the field. On a neutral site, this would favor Temple by roughly 13 points, so factoring in Charlotte’s home field, the current spread of 11.5 in favor of Temple appears very fair.
  • SP+: This power rating is slightly more bullish on both teams, with Temple at 88th (receiving 5.8 points above the FBS average) and Charlotte at 129th (19.9 points below). Based on these numbers, SP+ would have Temple favored by around 14 points on a neutral field, and closer to 12 when accounting for the 49ers’ home field.

Betting Trends

Through six games, Temple has been a strong ATS team, covering in five of six. They’ve only played two road games so far but covered in both, including one as an away favorite. Temple is also 2–0 ATS in conference play. Overs have been more frequent in Temple games, hitting in four of six overall, including both road matchups, while conference totals have split 1–1.

Charlotte is now 1–3–2 ATS, with a 1–2 record at home. They’re also 0–2 ATS as a home underdog and 0–1–2 in conference play. Over/unders have been fairly even, splitting three apiece through six games. Overs have been slightly more favorable at home, hitting in two of three, and the same trend holds in conference games at 2–3.

Final Thoughts

This is yet another tough conference matchup for the 49ers, who have continued to struggle offensively. The good news is that Temple’s defense hasn’t exactly been dominant, but it’s still hard to see a path for Charlotte to cover the current 11.5-point spread. Given the defensive issues on both sides, I’d lean slightly toward the over.