The UCF Knights (11-5) travel to face off against the Houston Cougars (15-2) on Saturday, January 20th. This game will be played at Fertitta Center in Houston and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 2:00 ET.
UCF Knights vs Houston Cougars
The UCF Knights Are Coming Off A Win
UCF enters this game as a 16.5-point underdog, and they have a 2-3 record in such games this season. The Knights have gone 2-2 on the road this season, and they are coming off of a 77-71 win over Texas.
So far this year, UCF has gone 11-5 overall, including a 9-3 record at home. In their last 10 road games, the Knights are 4-6, and they are 2-1 in their last three.
As the underdog, UCF has gone 2-2-1 vs. the spread this season and 5-4-1 in their last 10 games as the underdog. On the road, the Knights are just 1-3 vs. the spread this year and 5-5 in their last 10 road games. Overall, UCF is 8-7-1 vs. the spread this season.
So far this season, the over/under record for UCF is 9-7, and today’s over/under line of 127.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games this year (139.9). In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 130 points compared to their season average of 139.8. Today’s line is lower than the average scoring total in their games this year.
The Houston Cougars Are Coming Off A Win
After 17 games, Houston has been dominant, going 15-2 overall and 11-0 at home. In their last game, the Cougars defeated Texas Tech by 23 points.
On the season, Houston is 14-2 when favored, and they are 2-2 in Big 12 play. In the Cougars’ last 10 games at home, they have gone a perfect 10-0.
As the favorite, Houston has an ATS record of 9-7 this season. At home, the Cougars are 8-3 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, Houston has gone 5-5 ATS.
Today’s over/under line of 127.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Houston’s games this season (133.8). In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total in those games is 124 points.
UCF Offense Breakdown
In their recent game, the Knights’ offense concluded with 77 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 74.7 points per contest. The team’s top scorer is Jaylin Sellers, who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 17.9, while Darius Johnson also maintains a PPG average of 14.2 leading up to the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylin Sellers (G) | 17.9 | 4.1 | 1.0 |
| Darius Johnson (G) | 14.2 | 2.9 | 3.6 |
| Marchelus Avery (F) | 8.9 | 4.2 | 0.8 |
Houston Offense Breakdown
In their most recent game, the Cougars’ offense tallied 77 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 74.9 points per game. The top scorer for the Cougars was Jamal Shead with 29 points, while J’Wan Roberts also added 12 to the scoreboard.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| LJ Cryer (G) | 15.2 | 2.7 | 1.9 |
| Emanuel Sharp (G) | 13.1 | 3.6 | 0.9 |
| Jamal Shead (G) | 11.2 | 3.8 | 6.2 |
UCF Team Defense
At present, the Knights’ defense is nationally ranked 36th, allowing 65.1 points per game. UCF’s defense is coming off a game in which they allowed the Texas offense to knock down 50% of their shots on their way to putting up 71 points.
Houston Team Defense
Currently, the Cougars’ defense holds the 1st rank in the nation, allowing 51.5 points per game. In their previous game vs. Texas Tech, the Red Raiders finished with a field goal percentage of 52% and a total of 54 points vs. Houston.
Knights vs Cougars Trends
- When looking at their past five road matchups, UCF has an ATS record of 1-4 while averaging 67 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
- Through their last three home games, Houston has an ATS record of just 0-3. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 63 points per game.
- Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, UCF has an ATS mark of 2-2-1 while going 2-3 straight up.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Cougars have a straight up record of 8-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 5-5.
Knights vs Cougars Prediction
When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Cougars vs. Cougars game, our recommendation is to take the Cougars at -16.5. Despite our model showing the Cougars winning 74-69, we like Knights as our point-spread pick.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 127.5, and our model predicts the Knights and Cougars to score a combined 143 points. We recommend betting on the over.
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:January 20, 2024 Houston Cougars, UCF Knights, Uncategorized