It will be a battle between AAC opponents when the UCF Knights (13-7, 4-4 AAC) welcome the Connecticut Huskies (11-10, 4-4 AAC) to CFE Federal Credit Union Arena. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, and will air on CBS Sports Network.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 121 points with UCF opening as a 5-point favorite.
Connecticut Huskies vs. UCF Knights Betting Prediction
The Huskies are hoping for a better outcome after their 85-57 loss to the Temple Owls in their last matchup. Temple’s 6.5 turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over Connecticut, who had a mark of 21.9. The Owls’ mark was better than their season average of 15.0, while the Huskies’ was above their season average of 16.1. Christian Vital led Connecticut in scoring with 15 points on 3-for-14 shooting.
In the Knights’ last matchup, they lost big to the No. 17 Wichita State Shockers, 81-62. Getting to the free throw line was one of Wichita State’s biggest strengths. They made 30 trips to the line, while UCF went 21 times. With 15 points on 5-for-13 shooting, Dayon Griffin was UCF’s high scorer.
UCF could dominate on defense as they battle against one of the nation’s worst offenses. The Knights currently rank sixth in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.437), while Connecticut is 332nd in effective field goal percentage (0.457).
Connecticut holds records of 11-10 straight up (SU) and 7-11 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when setting the O/U total of Huskies games, with 9 unders compared to 8 overs.
Meanwhile, UCF is 13-7 SU and 9-6 ATS. Of the Knights’ 15 games that accepted bets, 12 have finished under the projected point total.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. Vital scored a game-high 18 points in the first matchup, in which the Huskies defeated the Knights 62-53, covering as 1-point favorites. He also recorded seven rebounds. The game finished with a total of 115 points, which was 9 points below the projected point total of 124 points. Converting at the free throw line was one of Connecticut’s biggest advantages. They were 20-21 (95.2 percent), while the Knights were 10-12 (83.3 percent).
Connecticut Huskies vs. UCF Knights Betting Pick
Free Prediction: SU Winner – UCF, ATS Winner – Connecticut, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Connecticut is 4-6 ATS on the road with 5 overs and 5 unders.
UCF is 4-2 ATS at home with 5 unders and 1 over.
UCF ranks 51st in three pointers allowed per game (19.6) while Connecticut ranks 248th (25.0).
The Knights rank 81st in rebounds per game (37.5) while the Huskies rank 212th in rebounds allowed per game (36.8).
Connecticut averages 3.9 blocks per game, which ranks 81st in the nation. UCF ranks 155th in blocks allowed per game (4.3).
The Knights rank 243rd in assists per game (11.2) while the Huskies rank 262nd (9.8).
Connecticut averages 6.2 steals per game, which ranks 121st in the NCAA. UCF ranks 136th in steals allowed per game (6.7).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Connecticut is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
UCF is 1-4 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Huskies’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 10.2, up from 4.1 for the season.
During their last five games, the Knights have scored an average of 56.8 points per game (6.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 60.0 points per game (0.1 below their season average).
