The UCF Knights (16-14) travel to face off against the BYU Cougars (22-9) on Wednesday, March 13th. This game will be played at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City and televised on ESPN2. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 12:30 ET.
UCF Knights vs BYU Cougars
The UCF Knights Are Coming Off A Win
UCF comes into this game as the underdog, as they have been in 15 of their 30 games this season. So far, they have gone 5-10 in those games, and they will look to improve on that mark tonight.
On the road this season, UCF has gone 4-7, and their average scoring margin is -6.3 points per game. They have won two straight games on the road.
UCF has an ATS record of 17-12-1 this season and they have gone 6-5 vs the spread on the road. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Knights have a record of 7-3 vs the spread.
UCF’s over/under record this season is 15-14-1 and today’s line of 144.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (138.7). So far, 17 of their games have finished with less points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, their over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total in those games is 139 points.
The BYU Cougars Are Coming Off A Win
BYU enters this game as 5.5-point favorites, and they have been the favorite in 24 of their 31 games this season, going 21-3 in those games. They are 17-2 at home this season, and their average scoring margin at home is +19.6 points per game.
The Cougars have won six straight games at home, and they are 8-2 in their last 10 home games. They are coming off an 85-71 win over Oklahoma State, and their record this season is 22-9.
BYU has been a solid team against the spread this season, going 19-11-1. At home, they have an ATS mark of 14-5. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Cougars have gone 6-3-1 vs. the spread.
So far this season, the over/under record for BYU games is 15-16. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1. Today’s over/under line of 144.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games this season (150) and the average scoring total in their last three games (149). Overall, 12 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s line.
UCF Offense Breakdown
Coming off their recent game, the UCF offense tallied 79 points in a matchup against TCU. Their field goal percentage for the game was 49.1%, and they made 6 threes. Coming into the game, the Knights offense has strugled with their outside shot this season, hitting threes at a rate of just 31%. On average, they get up 21.1 three-point attempts per game and are averaging 15.5 made free-throws.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylin Sellers (G) | 16.0 | 3.5 | 1.1 |
| Darius Johnson (G) | 14.8 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
| Shemarri Allen (G) | 7.6 | 3.8 | 2.7 |
BYU Offense Breakdown
In their recent matchup, the BYU offense ended with 85 points against Oklahoma State. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 50.8% and made 12 threes. The team’s top scorer is Jaxson Robinson, who enters today’s matchup with an average of 13.9, while Trevin Knell also carries a PPG average of 11.1 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaxson Robinson (G) | 13.9 | 2.5 | 1.4 |
| Trevin Knell (G) | 11.1 | 3.4 | 1.4 |
| Spencer Johnson (G) | 10.5 | 5.9 | 3.1 |
UCF Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the UCF defense is giving up an average of 67.0 points per contest. UCF’s three-point defense is currently 115th in the country at 6.9 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 41.1% of their shots vs. UCF.
BYU Team Defense
Currently, the Cougars’ defense holds the 97th rank in the nation, allowing 69.5 points per game. So far, the BYU defense is giving up an average of 7.4 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 10.4 times per game (450th).
Knights vs Cougars Trends
- UCF has a 2-3 record in their last five road games. In this stretch, they averaged 74 points per game while allowing 76. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
- When looking at their past ten home matchups, BYU has an ATS record of 3-6-1 while averaging 73 per game. The team went 3-7 overall in these games.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Knights have a straight up record of 3-7. Their record vs the spread in these games was 7-3.
- Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, BYU has an ATS mark of 6-3-1 while going 9-1 straight up.
Knights vs Cougars Prediction
The Knights come in as the underdog at +5.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 144.5 and given that our model is projecting 143 points between the teams, we like the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 13, 2024 BYU Cougars, UCF Knights