UCF Knights vs Cincinnati Bearcats Betting Pick & Prediction 1/27/24

Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Knights and Bearcats. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, OH. Get ready to place your bets! This Big 12 conference matchup has an over/under of 135.5 points, and Cincinnati is favored to win by -6.5 at home vs. UCF.

UCF KNIGHTS VS CINCINNATI BEARCATS BETTING PICK

The Pick: UCF Knights +6.5

This game will be played at Fifth Third Arena at 7:00 ET on Saturday, January 27th.

WHY BET THE UCF KNIGHTS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 74-69 in favor of the Bearcats.
• Even though we have Cincinnati winning straight-up, we like UCF at +6.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 135.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 143 points.

Does UCF Have What it Takes on the Road?

UCF will be looking to improve upon their road record of 2-3 this season when they take on Cincinnati. So far, the Knights have gone 12-6 overall, including a 3-3 mark in Big 12 play. Their average scoring margin on the road is -9.4.

Recently, UCF has gone 2-3 over their last five road games, and they are 4-6 in their last 10. As the underdog, they have gone 2-4 this season, and they are 10-2 when favored. In their most recent game, UCF beat West Virginia by a score of 72-59.

As the underdog, UCF has a solid 3-2-1 record vs. the spread this season. Overall, their ATS mark is 10-7-1. On the road, the Knights are 2-3 vs. the spread this year and they have gone 5-5 in their last 10 road games vs. the spread.

UCF’s over/under record for the season is 9-9 and today’s line of 135.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games this year (139.4). Their over/under record in their last three games is 1-2 and the average scoring total in those games is 125 points. So far, nine of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line.

The UCF offense is coming off a game where they scored 72 points against West Virginia. They posted a field goal percentage of 37.3% and connected on 7 threes. Offensively, the Knights have a season long field goal percentage of 41%, which is 367th in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 356th in percentage and 238th in three-pointers made.

The Knights’ defense is presently ranked 24th nationally, allowing an average of 64.3 points per contest. So far, the UCF defense is giving up an average of 6.8 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 12.2 times per game (605th).

Can The Bearcats Secure a Home Victory?

After losing two straight games, Cincinnati will look to get back on track when they host UCF. So far this season, the Bearcats have gone 11-2 at home, and they are 12-3 when favored. In their most recent game, Cincinnati lost to Kansas, 74-69.

For the year, the Bearcats have gone 13-6, and they are 2-4 in Big 12 play. Their average scoring margin at home is +17.2, compared to -1.8 on the road. Over their last 10 games at home, Cincinnati is 8-2, and their record over their last five games at home is 3-2.

As the favorite this season, Cincinnati has gone 6-9 against the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Bearcats have a record of 3-7 vs. the spread. At home, their ATS mark is 6-7 this year and just 5-5 over their last 10 games at home.

So far this season, the over/under record for Cincinnati is 10-9 and today’s line of 135.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (147.3). Over their last three games, their games have had an average of 144 points compared to their season average of 145.1 points per game.

In their latest game, Cincinnati offense put up 69 points against Kansas. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 39.3% and made 3 threes. Leading the team in scoring was Daniel Skillings with 16 points. John Newman III also added 11 points for the Bearcats.

The Bearcats’ defense is presently ranked 63rd nationally, allowing an average of 66.9 points per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 6.8 threes per game vs. UCF. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 31.9%.