Colorado Buffaloes vs UCF Knights Matchup

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

Colorado vs UCF Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Buffaloes and Knights. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on ESPN+, and it's hosted by the Knights at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, FL. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this game is set at 147.5 points, and UCF is favored by -5.5 vs. Colorado in a Big 12 conference matchup.

Colorado vs. UCF Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Colorado Buffaloes at UCF Knights
Where: Orlando at Addition Financial Arena
Date: Wednesday, January 8th
Betting Odds UCF -5.5, COL +188 | UCF -232 O/U 147.5

Buffaloes Preview: Can Colorado Secure a Road Victory?

Colorado Buffaloes Recent Game/Games

Colorado’s season record dropped to 9-4 after an 81-61 loss to Arizona State on Saturday. Entering the game as +6.5 point underdogs, the Buffaloes not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 40-27 at halftime, Colorado couldn’t close the gap in the 2nd half, scoring 34 points while allowing 41. The game’s total points ended just under the O/U line of 142.5, with 142 combined points.

Buffaloes Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Colorado's offense struggled, shooting just 34.8% from the field and 12.5% from three-point range, hitting only 3 of 24 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 36.4%, but they did manage to connect on 81.2% of their free throws, going 13 for 16.

Trevor Baskin led the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 64.3% from the field. BJ Freeman and Basheer Jihad both shot 66.7%, with Freeman adding 19 points and Jihad hitting 4 of 6 from deep, finishing with 17 points.

Buffaloes Team Defense

Colorado's defense struggled, giving up 81 points on 51% shooting from the field. The Buffaloes allowed their opponent to connect on 57% of their two-point attempts, going 15/26 inside the arc.

From three-point range, Colorado's defense allowed 13 threes on 28 attempts, a 46% shooting performance. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 19 times, where they made 12 free throws, shooting 63%.

Knights Preview: Will the Knights Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

UCF’s season record dropped to 10-3 after a tough 99-48 loss to Kansas on Sunday. The Knights were +5 underdogs going into the game but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 147, just under the O/U line of 149.5.

UCF trailed 44-25 at halftime and struggled even more in the second half, scoring only 23 points while allowing 55.

Knights Offense Breakdown

UCF's offense struggled mightily in their last game, managing just 48 points on 20.6% shooting from the field. They hit only 18.4% of their two-point attempts and 23.3% from beyond the arc, resulting in an effective field goal percentage of 26.5%.

The Knights did connect on 72.2% of their free throws and grabbed 12 offensive rebounds. They finished with 11 assists as a team.

Knights Team Defense

Despite UCF's strong defensive effort, they gave up 99 points in their last game. The Knights held their opponents to just 20% shooting from the field, with 14 made baskets on 68 attempts.

UCF limited their opponents to 18% shooting on two-pointers (7/38) and 23% from beyond the arc (7/30). They also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 18 times, where they converted 13 attempts (72%).

Buffaloes vs Knights Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last five road contests, the Buffaloes offense has averaged 73 points per game while allowing an average of 86. Colorado posted an overall record of 1-4 while going 2-3 ATS.
When looking at their past three matchups at home, UCF has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 92 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
Looking back on the team's last five games as the underdog, the Buffaloes have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 1-4.
UCF has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three games.