* Dollar caught in range ahead of a slew of US data releases

* Sterling sags after downbeat UK housing data, CPI awaited

* Crude oil bounce lift Canadian and Australian dollars

By Shinichi Saoshiro

TOKYO, Aug 16 (Reuters) - The dollar treaded water early on Tuesday, caught in a narrow range ahead of a series of U.S. data releases later in the session, while sterling was on the defensive after downbeat U.K. data nudged it towards a 31-year low.

The dollar was flat at 101.250 yen after spending the previous day stuck between 101.460 and 100.870.

The euro was steady at $1.1180, having scraped out a 0.2 percent gain overnight. The dollar index was little changed at 95.641 after losing about 0.2 percent on Monday.

The greenback was put on the defensive after weaker-than-expected U.S. data on Friday dented prospects of a near-term rate hike by the Federal Reserve, with the resulting fall in Treasury yields pressuring the currency.

The markets will look to U.S. data later in the day including consumer prices, housing starts and industrial output for another chance to gauge the health of the world's largest economy.

The dollar fared better against the pound, which has slid steadily on concerns that the economic fallout from Britain's decision to leave the European Union would keep the Bank of England stuck with an easier monetary policy indefinitely.

Sterling was effectively flat at $1.2881 after slipping 0.3 percent overnight in the wake of data showing prices of British homes for sale falling by their most in nine months in August.

The pound has inched closer to $1.2798, a 31-year low struck in June after the Brexit referendum.

"The pound is likely to keep slipping towards $1.2798 as the U.K. economy faces the risk of a downturn and amid the prospect of further easing by the BOE," said Masafumi Yamamoto, chief currency strategist at Mizuho Securities in Tokyo, who forecasts the pound to reach $1.2000 by the year's end.

"Although unlikely, the British economy will have to avoid a recession for the pound to bottom out. But indicators now being released after the Brexit vote point towards a recession and the need for more monetary easing."

Investors will look to the British consumer prices data due later in the session for immediate incentives.

Commodity-linked currencies fared well thanks to a rise in crude oil prices.

The Canadian dollar was at $1.2924 per dollar after touching a one-month high of $1.2902 overnight. The Australian dollar was steady at $0.7680 after gaining 0.4 percent on Monday.

(Editing by Shri Navaratnam)