Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs UCF Knights Matchup

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

UCF vs Tulsa Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Knights versus the Golden Hurricane? Tip off is at at 2:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL. UCF comes into this non-conference matchup as the -11.5 point favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 145.5 points.

UCF vs. Tulsa Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UCF Knights at Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Where: Sunrise at Amerant Bank Arena
Date: Saturday, December 14th
Betting Odds UCF -11.5, UCF -625 | TULSA +450 O/U 145.5

Knights Preview: Is A Road Victory Likely for Favored UCF?

UCF improved to 7-2 on the season with a 66-51 win over Tarleton State on Sunday. The Knights were -25.5 favorites going into the game but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 117, falling short of the 135.5 O/U line.

UCF led 29-21 at halftime and added 37 points in the 2nd half while allowing 30. The Knights’ defense was solid, but they’ll need to step up their game to cover large spreads in the future.

Knights Offense Breakdown

UCF's offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 35.8% from the field and 29% from beyond the arc, finishing with 66 points. They did excel at the free-throw line, hitting 19 of 22 attempts for an 86.4% rate.

Jordan Ivy-Curry led the way with 16 points, knocking down 4 of 10 threes, while Bubu Benjamin was perfect from deep, hitting all 3 of his attempts and finishing with 13 points on 5 of 7 shooting overall. UCF also grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and dished out 14 assists.

Knights Team Defense

UCF's defense was on point, holding their opponent to just 51 points on 35% shooting from the field. The Knights limited their opponent to 45% shooting on two-point attempts, with a 10/22 performance.

From beyond the arc, UCF's defense was even more effective, as they held their opponent to 29% shooting, with just 9 made threes on 31 attempts. Despite sending their opponent to the line 22 times, UCF allowed just 19 free throws, with their opponent shooting 86% from the stripe. The Knights also gave up 16 offensive rebounds.

Golden Hurricane Preview: Will Tulsa Win at Home?

Tulsa Golden Hurricane Recent Game

Tulsa fell to 3-6 on the season after a 70-66 home loss to Southern on Saturday. The Golden Hurricane were -7 favorites but couldn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 136, just under the O/U line of 141.

Tulsa trailed 28-24 at halftime and both teams scored 42 points in the 2nd half, but the Golden Hurricane couldn’t close the gap.

Golden Hurricane Offense Breakdown

Tulsa's offense put up 66 points in their last game, shooting 41.2% from the field and 30.8% from beyond the arc, hitting 8 of 26 threes. Their effective field goal percentage was 49%, and they connected on 76.2% of their free throws, going 16 for 21 at the line.

Keaston Willis led the way with 23 points, hitting 5 of 11 from deep and grabbing 7 rebounds. Michael Jacobs added 19 points, while Tyshawn Archie contributed 17 points and 4 assists, despite shooting just 33.3% overall. Ian Smikle was efficient, making 5 of 7 shots and pulling down 8 rebounds.

Golden Hurricane Team Defense

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane defense gave up 70 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 41% from the field on 21 of 51 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 13 of 25 two-point shots to fall, a 52% conversion rate.

From three-point range, Tulsa's opponents hit 8 of 26 attempts, shooting 30%. The Golden Hurricane also sent them to the free-throw line 21 times, where they made 16, a 76% success rate. Tulsa allowed 9 offensive rebounds in the game.

Knights vs Golden Hurricane Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last three road games, UCF has an ATS record of just 0-3. However, their overall record was 0-3 while averaging 81 points per game.
Across their ten previous home games, Tulsa has an ATS mark of 2-8. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-8 while averaging 70 points per game.
The last five games that Tulsa was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 2-3 while going 2-3 straight up.
Across their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Knights have an overall record of 3-0 while going 1-2 against the spread.