American Athletic Conference foes will clash when the UCF Knights (11-10) challenge the Cincinnati Bearcats (17-7) at CFE Federal Credit Union Arena. The game gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 9 and can be seen on ESW and ES3.
The Knights are hoping to rebound after their 62-60 loss to Temple on Saturday. Tacko Fall was the top performer for the Knights, putting up 10 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. The Bearcats, meanwhile, are coming off a 63-59 loss at the hands of Memphis on Saturday. Gary Clark scored 15 points and recorded 14 rebounds earning his fifth double-double of the season.
This has potential to be a mistake-prone game for the offense of UCF, which ranks 304th in the nation in ball protection (TO% of 20.7%). The gambling defense of Cincinnati forces the 30th-most turnovers in the nation (21.8%).
The Knights are looking to build on their records of 11-10 Straight Up (SU) and 15-5 Against The Spread (ATS). The UCF defense has been shutting down opposing offenses over the past 10 games, only allowing an average of 61.7 points per game, well under their season average of 71.4. UCF’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation. The Knights allow a .313 opponent three-point field goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the nation.
On the other side, the Bearcats have 17-7 SU and 11-11-1 ATS records. Most recently, Cincinnati is 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games. Cincinnati is one of the better offensive rebounding teams in Division I. The Bearcats average 13.4 offensive rebounds per game, making them the 29th-best team in the country for that category. The Bearcats are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 33rd in Division I at 1.40. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Bearcats allow just 62.0 points per game, ranking them 11th in the nation. The Cincinnati defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .388 shooting from the field to its opponents. They average 8.4 steals per game, good for 15th in the nation.
The conference foes meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Cincinnati won the last game in the matchup, bumping its SU record to 5-0. Additionally, Cincinnati holds the advantage ATS with a record of 4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cin, ATS Winner – Cin
Notes
UCF averages 72.7 points per game, placing the team just 156th in the nation. Cincinnati ranks 11th in points allowed, giving up 62.0 points per game.
The Cincinnati Bearcats have a defensive rating of 92.4 (ranked 11th), while the UCF Knights have an offensive rating of 106.2 (ranked 164th).
The UCF Knights average 68.4 possessions per game and 1.062 points per possession, while the Cincinnati Bearcats earn fewer possessions (66.6) but more points per possession (1.118).
The UCF Knights average an effective field goal percentage of 51.5% this season. The Cincinnati Bearcats have split their games this season (3-3) when opponents have an eFG% of 51.5% or greater.
Cincinnati ranks 42nd in assists, recording 16.0 per game. UCF performs worse at 215th with 12.9 assists per game.
Cincinnati, the 10th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.8 blocks per game. UCF ranks 67th with 4.5.
The Cincinnati Bearcats rank 29th in offensive rebounds, and the UCF Knights rank 21st in the nation in defensive rebounds.
On average, UCF forces a turnover rate of 14.1%. When Cincinnati turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 11-6 record.
