The UCF Knights (2-1) face off against the Saint Joseph’s Hawks (3-0) in the at HTC Center. The game begins at 1 p.m. ET on Friday, November 16, 2018.
Saint Joseph’s Hawks vs. UCF Knights ATS Prediction
The Hawks will be hoping for similar success after dismantling the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in their last contest, 89-69. Saint Joseph’s’ turnover percentage was their largest advantage over Wake Forest. The Hawks had a rate of 10.6, while the Demon Deacons posted a mark of 18.6. With 26 points on 8-for-15 shooting, Charlie Brown was the top scorer from either team.
The last time the Knights were in action, they defeated the Cal State Fullerton Titans, 68-52. The Knights had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (34.2 vs. 20.0) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.467 vs. 0.382). With 12 points and 10 rebounds, UCF’s Tacko Fall had a good performance.
From an effective field goal percentage perspective, UCF should have a noteworthy edge. Since the 2017-18 season, the Knights defense ranks 11th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.456), while the Saint Joseph’s offense ranks 263rd in effective field goal percentage (0.494).
The Hawks have had a decent 19-16 straight up (SU) record since last season, but have struggled covering the spread (13-17-2 against the spread (ATS)). Vegas has been spot on when predicting totals of Saint Joseph’s games since last year, with an even split between overs and unders.
Meanwhile, the Knights, are 21-14 SU and 17-15-1 ATS since last season. Games featuring UCF have had a slight tendency to go over the projected point total over that same time frame (48.5 percent).
Saint Joseph’s Hawks vs. UCF Knights ATS Pick
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Notes
Betting Notes (2017-Present):
UCF ranks 35th in three pointers allowed per game (19.3) while Saint Joseph’s ranks 315th (27.9).
The Hawks rank 123rd in assists per game (14.2) while the Knights rank 296th (10.8).
Saint Joseph’s ranks 12th in steals allowed per game (4.7) while UCF ranks 172nd (6.3).
The Knights rank 140th in rebounds allowed per game (34.4) while the Hawks rank 281st (38.1).
UCF ranks 115th in blocks per game (3.7) while Saint Joseph’s ranks 176th in blocks allowed per game (3.5).
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