AAC foes will collide when the UCF Knights (13-7, 4-4 AAC) take on the Connecticut Huskies (11-10, 4-4 AAC) at CFE Federal Credit Union Arena. The games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 121 points with UCF opening as a 5-point favorite. Action begins at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, and it can be seen on CBS Sports Network.
Connecticut Huskies at UCF Knights Odds Preview
The Huskies were blown out by the Temple Owls in their last contest, 85-57. Christian Vital had a solid game for Connecticut, leading the team in scoring with 15 points on 3-for-14 shooting. Temple had a turnover percentage of 6.5 (better than their season average of 15.0). Connecticut, meanwhile, did an excellent job of converting from the charity stripe (12-14; 85.7 percent).
In the Knights last game, they were blown out by the No. 17 Wichita State Shockers, 81-62. Dayon Griffin was UCF’s leading scorer with 15 points on 5-for-13 shooting. Getting to the free throw line was one of Wichita State’s largest strengths. They made 30 trips to the line, while UCF went 21 times.
When considering effective field goal percentage, UCF figures to have a considerable edge. The Knights defense ranks sixth in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.437), while the Connecticut offense is ranked 332nd in effective field goal percentage (0.457).
Of Connecticut’s 17 games that accepted bets, nine have finished under the O/U total, while 12 of UCF’s 15 games have finished under the projected point total. The Knights hold a clear advantage in terms of straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 13-7 SU and 9-6 ATS, while the Huskies are 11-10 SU and 7-11 ATS.
These teams have already met once this season. In that game, the two teams combined to score 115 points, which was under the projected point total of 124. The Huskies won 62-53, covering as 1-point favorites. Connecticut did a fantastic job of converting from the charity stripe (20-21; 95.2 percent). UCF, on the other hand, had a better offensive rebounding percentage (31.4 vs. 28.0). Vital was the games top overall scorer with 18 points.
Connecticut Huskies vs. UCF Knights ATS Prediction
Pick: SU Winner – UCF, ATS Winner – UCF, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- 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 nation. UCF ranks 136th in steals allowed per game (6.7).
- Connecticut is 4-6 ATS on the road, while UCF is 4-2 ATS at home.
- The total has gone under in 5 of the Knights 6 home games, while 5 of the Huskies 10 road games have gone 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 ranks 81st in blocks per game (3.9) while UCF ranks 155th in blocks allowed per game (4.3).
Betting Trends:
- UCF is 1-4 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Connecticut is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
- The Knights have been outscored by an average of 3.2 points in their last five games. On the season, UCF has defeated opponents by an average of 3.4 points.
- During their last five games, the Huskies have scored an average of 59.4 points per game (8.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 69.6 points per game (2.1 below their season average).
