AAC foes will clash when the East Carolina Pirates (6-6, 0-1 AAC) meet the UCF Knights (9-4, 0-1 AAC) at Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. UCF is a 10.5-point favorite on the opening line, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 130 points. Action gets underway at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 31, 2017, and it can be seen on ESPNews.
UCF Knights vs. East Carolina Pirates Betting Preview
The last time the Knights played, they fell to the SMU Mustangs, 56-51. With 12 points on 4-for-12 shooting, Dayon Griffin was UCF’s high scorer. SMU forced the Knights into a turnover percentage of 24.0 (above their season average of 19.7). UCF, meanwhile, had a better free throw rate (0.111 vs. 0.073).
The Pirates are hoping for a better outcome after their 79-53 loss to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in their last contest. B.J. Tyson led East Carolina in scoring with 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting. Tulsa’s turnover percentage was their largest advantage over East Carolina. The Golden Hurricane had a rate of 6.0 (better than their season average of 17.6), while the Pirates posted a mark of 15.8.
East Carolina might have difficulty scoring as they square off against one of the NCAA’s best defenses. UCF currently ranks 31st in defensive efficiency while the Pirates rank 318th in offensive efficiency.
Games including these teams tend to go under the O/U total. UCF games have finished under 87.5 percent of the time, while East Carolina games have gone under 60.0 percent of the time. The Knights hold a clear advantage in both straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 9-4 SU and 6-2 ATS, while the Pirates are 6-6 SU and 1-4 ATS.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Knights won both games played against each other last season. In the most recent game, UCF won 61-58. The Knights turnover percentage was their largest advantage over the Pirates. UCF had a rate of 15.2, while East Carolina posted a mark of 22.3.
UCF Knights vs. East Carolina Pirates Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – UCF, ATS Winner – UCF, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Pirates rank 234th in three pointers attempted per game (18.3) while the Knights rank 268th (15.4).
- East Carolina is 1-2 ATS at home, while UCF is 4-1 ATS on the road.
- The total has gone under in 5 of the Knights 5 road games, while 2 of the Pirates 3 home games have gone over.
- UCF averages 39.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 49th in the nation. East Carolina ranks 202nd in rebounds allowed per game (37.8).
- The Pirates average 3.7 blocks per game, which ranks 85th in the NCAA. The Knights rank 145th in blocks allowed per game (4.5).
- East Carolina ranks 181st in assists per game (12.7) while UCF ranks 225th (11.5).
Bettings Trends:
- East Carolina is 0-2 ATS with 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, UCF is 1-0 ATS with 1 under.
- The Pirates average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 5.6, up from 2.7 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Knights have scored an average of 70.2 points per game (3.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 57.6 points per game (4.6 below their season average).
