The No. 12 Houston Cougars (21-1, 8-1 AAC) travel to UCF to take on the Knights (16-4, 6-2 AAC) in a matchup that pits great offense against superb defense. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 7, 2019, and will air on CBS Sports Network.
Houston Cougars vs. UCF Knights Free Prediction
In the Cougars’ last outing, they beat the Temple Owls, 73-66. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Houston’s biggest advantages. They had 36 free throw attempts, 22 more than Temple. Dejon Jarreau was a key piece for Houston with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
The Knights beat the Connecticut Huskies in their last matchup, 73-67. The Knights had a fantastic free throw rate of 0.556 (above their season average of 0.295) and had a better turnover percentage (16.5 vs. 19.0). BJ Taylor was UCF’s leading scorer with 21 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the field.
Points could be at a premium in this meeting between a pair of the NCAA’s premier defenses. UCF ranks 29th in defensive efficiency (94.3) and Houston is fifth (89.4). Furthermore, the Cougars, who rank 41st in offensive rebounding percentage (34.2 percent), will face off against the Knights, who rank 255th in defensive rebounding percentage (70.1 percent).
After the Cougars won both meetings against the Knights last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent matchup, Houston won 84-56. The Cougars had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.614 vs. 0.395) and had a better turnover percentage (10.8 vs. 14.6).
Houston Cougars vs. UCF Knights Free Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – UCF, ATS Winner – UCF, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Houston ranks 47th in three pointers attempted per game (26.0) while UCF ranks 244th (19.4).
The Cougars rank seventh in rebounds per game (41.7) while the Knights rank 158th in rebounds allowed per game (35.4).
Houston ranks 17th in assists allowed per game (10.5) while UCF ranks 107th (12.7).
The Cougars are 17th in the NCAA with 2.3 blocks allowed per game while the Knights are 55th with 2.8 blocks allowed per game.
UCF ranks 50th in steals allowed per game (5.5) while Houston ranks 68th (5.8).
Bettings Trends:
The Cougars’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 16.6, up from 15.1 for the season.
During their last five games, the Knights have scored an average of 67.2 points per game (6.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 66.2 points per game (2.3 above their season average).
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