A pair of AAC teams will face each other in prime time on ESPN Friday night at 7:00 PM ET when the SMU Mustangs travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to face the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field in week 8 of the college football season.

The SMU Mustangs enter this game with a record of 4-2 following a 31-10 win on the road against the East Carolina Pirates while covering the 11.5-point spread as a road favorite in week 7 of the college football season. SMU scored 31 points while compiling a total of 334 yards offensively which included 276 passing yards and 58 rushing yards while allowing 10 points and 290 total yards defensively which included 193 passing yards and 97 rushing yards. Preston Stone led the team in passing, completing 19 of 38 attempts for 276 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 25 yards. Jaylan Knighton led the team in rushing with 11 carries for 26 yards. Jordan Kerley led the team in receiving, catching three of four targets for 69 yards.

Temple enters this game with a record of 2-5 following a 14-45 loss on the road against the North Texas Mean Green while failing to cover the 8-point spread as a road underdog in week 7 of the college football season. The Owls scored 14 points while compiling a total of 342 yards offensively which included 105 passing yards and 237 rushing yards while allowing 45 points and 527 total yards defensively which included 307 passing yards and 220 rushing yards. Quincy Patterson led the team in passing, completing 12 of 30 attempts for 105 yards and three interceptions while also leading the team in rushing with 24 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown. Amad Anderson Jr. led the team in receiving, catching two of four targets for 22 yards.

BookMaker has the SMU Mustangs listed as 19.5-point favorites on the road against the Temple Owls on Friday night in week 8 of the college football season. SMU has won three of the five games all-time and two of the last three games in the series while winning by an average margin of 2.6 points per game over the last ten and 7.67 points per game over the last three games in the series. The Owls are 3-2 ATS all-time while the Mustangs are 2-1 ATS in the last three meetings. SMU is 3-3 ATS overall, 1-2 ATS on the road, 1-1 ATS as a favorite, and 1-1 ATS in conference games this season while the Temple Owls are 1-6 ATS overall, 1-3 ATS at home, 0-5 ATS as an underdog, and 0-3 ATS in conference games on the year.

As bad as Temple has been playing, they have been even worse at covering the spread this season as they are 1-6 ATS overall and have not covered the spread in any of their first three conference games this season while SMU is 3-3 ATS overall and 1-1 ATS in conference games with the Mustangs also being the better team at covering the spread most recently in the series going 2-1 ATS in those contests. I look for the Mustangs to get above .500 ATS with a win and cover in this matchup on Friday which is why I am buying the .5 point and taking the SMU Mustangs -19 when they travel to take on the Temple Owls.