Houston Cougars vs UCF Knights Matchup

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

Houston vs UCF Prediction

The Cougars and Knights are set to face off at 12:00 ET on CBSS. The Knights will host the game at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, FL. In this Big 12 matchup, Houston is favored bt -11.5 vs. UCF. The over/under for the game is 137.5 points.

Houston vs. UCF Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Houston Cougars at UCF Knights
Where: Orlando at Addition Financial Arena
Date: Saturday, January 18th
Betting Odds HOU -11.5, HOU -890 | UCF +560 O/U 137.5

Cougars Preview: Will Houston Secure A Victory as Road Favorites?

Houston Cougars Recent Game/Games

Houston improved to 13-3 on the season with a 70-54 win over West Virginia on Wednesday. The Cougars, who were -16 favorites, pushed against the spread.

Houston led 40-27 at halftime and outscored the Mountaineers 30-27 in the 2nd half. The game’s total points of 124 narrowly missed the O/U line of 124.5.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, the Houston Cougars put up 70 points, shooting 49% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 58.8%. They connected on 42.3% of their three-point attempts, going 11-for-26 from deep, while hitting 56% of their two-point shots (14-for-25). At the free-throw line, they made 9 of 12 attempts, good for 75%.

J'Wan Roberts led the way with 22 points, shooting 10-for-13 from the field. L.J. Cryer added 18 points, hitting 5 of 10 threes, and Amani Hansberry contributed 16 points, making 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. Javon Small dished out 8 assists, while also hitting 3 of 5 from three-point range.

Cougars Team Defense

Despite Houston's defensive efforts, they allowed 54 points on 49% shooting from the field. The Cougars gave up 14 two-point baskets on 25 attempts, with the opposing team shooting 56% inside the arc.

From three-point range, Houston's opponents connected on 11 of 26 attempts, shooting 42%. The Cougars also sent them to the free-throw line 12 times, where they made 9 free throws, hitting 75%. Houston allowed 9 offensive rebounds.

Knights Preview: Do the Knights Stand a Chance at Home?

UCF Knights Recent Game/Games

The Knights improved to 12-4 on the season with a 95-89 win over Arizona State on Tuesday. UCF, who entered the game as +3.5 point underdogs, not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.

UCF led 49-47 at halftime and continued their strong play in the second half, outscoring the Sun Devils 46-42. The total points for the game reached 184, well over the pre-game O/U line of 149.5.

Knights Offense Breakdown

UCF's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 95 points on 50.8% shooting from the field. They connected on 46.2% of their threes, hitting 12 of 26 attempts, and posted an effective field goal percentage of 60%. At the free-throw line, they were 17 for 21, good for 81%.

Keyshawn Hall led the way with 40 points, shooting 72.2% from the field and 66.7% from three. BJ Freeman added 26 points, hitting 5 of 6 from beyond the arc. Jayden Quaintance also had a strong performance, scoring 20 points on 8 of 11 shooting.

Knights Team Defense

UCF's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 89 points while allowing the opponent to shoot 52% from the field. They allowed 54% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opposing team hitting 18 of 33 shots.

From beyond the arc, UCF's defense couldn't contain the three-point shooters, who connected on 12 of 24 attempts, shooting 50%. The opponent also went to the free-throw line 26 times, making 17 of those shots, and UCF gave up 9 offensive rebounds.

Cougars vs Knights Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although Houston has a straight up record of 8-2 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 4-5-1. The team averaged 74 points per game in these games.
When looking at their past five home matchups, UCF has an ATS record of 4-1 while averaging 90 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
Looking back on the team's last three games as the underdog, the Knights have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-1.
The Cougars have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 5-0 straight up and 4-0-1 against the spread.