Arizona Wildcats vs UCF Knights Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our UCF vs Arizona NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Tucson.

UCF vs Arizona Prediction

Betting on today's Knights and Wildcats game? Catch the action at McKale Center in Tucson, AZ, as the Wildcats hosts this showdown at 10:00 ET on ESPN. The over/under for this game is set at 156.5 points, and Arizona is favored by -13.5 vs. UCF in a Big 12 conference matchup.

UCF vs. Arizona Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UCF Knights at Arizona Wildcats
Where: Tucson at McKale Center
Date: Saturday, January 11th
Betting Odds ARZ -13.5, UCF +575 | ARZ -1000 O/U 156.5

Knights Preview: Do the Knights Have a Shot at a Road Win?

UCF improved to 11-3 on the season with a narrow 75-74 win over Colorado on Wednesday. The Knights, who were -6.5 favorites, didn’t cover the spread, but they got the win. The total points for the game hit 149, just over the 148.5-point O/U line.

UCF trailed 37-34 at halftime but turned things around in the second half, outscoring Colorado 41-37 to secure the victory at home.

Knights Offense Breakdown

UCF's offense put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 39.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 48.2%. They connected on 35.7% of their three-point attempts, hitting 10 of 28 from deep, while also making 21 of 28 free throws for a 75% success rate. The Knights grabbed 9 offensive rebounds and dished out 12 assists.

Julian Hammond III led the way with 26 points and 5 assists, shooting 57.1% from the field and 50% from three. Jordan Ivy-Curry added 22 points, hitting 4 of 10 from beyond the arc. Andrej Jakimovski was efficient, going 4 of 5 from three-point range and finishing with 16 points on 66.7% shooting overall.

Knights Team Defense

UCF's defense gave up 74 points on 39% shooting, with their opponent hitting 22 of 56 shots. Inside the arc, they allowed 12 two-pointers on 28 attempts, a 42% success rate.

From three-point range, UCF's opponent made 10 of 28 shots, shooting 35%. The Knights also sent them to the line 28 times, where they converted 21 free throws, a 75% rate. UCF allowed 9 offensive rebounds.

Wildcats Preview: Will the Arizona Defense Show Up at Home?

Arizona improved to 9-5 on the season with a 75-56 road win over West Virginia on Tuesday. The Wildcats entered the game as 4-point favorites and covered the spread, while the total points of 131 fell short of the 143.5 O/U line.

Arizona led 39-28 at halftime and continued to control the game in the 2nd half, outscoring the Mountaineers 36-28 to secure the win.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Arizona put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 50.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.7%. They connected on 58.5% of their two-point attempts (24/41) and hit 35% from beyond the arc (7/20), while going 6/10 from the free-throw line.

KJ Lewis led the way with 21 points on 9/13 shooting, adding 4 assists in 26 minutes. Javon Small contributed 17 points and 6 rebounds, despite shooting just 35.3% overall, and Jaden Bradley chipped in 15 points, hitting 2 of 3 from deep.

Wildcats Team Defense

Arizona's defense was on point, holding their opponent to just 56 points on 36% shooting from the field. They limited damage inside, with the other team making 13 of 29 two-point attempts for 44%.

From beyond the arc, Arizona's defense was effective, as the opposition shot just 27%, hitting 8 of 29 threes. They also sent the other team to the line only 8 times, where they made 6 free throws.

Knights vs Wildcats Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Knights last ten road games, the team averaged 79 points per game while allowing 82. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 6-4, while going 4-6 straight-up.
In their last three home games, Arizona has averaged 78 points per game while allowing 75. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
As the betting underdog, the Knights have an ATS mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. UCF posted a straight up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.
As the betting favorite, the Wildcats have an ATS record of 3-2 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 4-1.