It will be a battle between AAC opponents when the East Carolina Pirates (6-6, 0-1 AAC) welcome the UCF Knights (9-4, 0-1 AAC) to Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. The game will air on ESPNews at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 31, 2017.
UCF is a 10.5-point favorite on the opening line, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 130 points.
UCF Knights at East Carolina Pirates Betting Prediction
In the Knights’ last matchup, they were beaten by the SMU Mustangs, 56-51. SMU’s turnover percentage was their biggest strength over UCF. The Mustangs had a rate of 20.4 (worse than their season average of 15.8), while the Knights posted a mark of 24.0 (above their season average of 19.7). Dayon Griffin was UCF’s leading scorer with 12 points on 4-for-12 shooting.
The Pirates lost big to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in their last outing, 79-53. Tulsa’s turnover percentage was their largest advantage over East Carolina. The Golden Hurricane had a rate of 6.0 (better than their season average of 17.6), while the Pirates posted a mark of 15.8. East Carolina’s B.J. Tyson had a solid game, leading the team in scoring with 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting.
The ineffective offense of East Carolina (318th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 96.2) will square off against the stingy defense of UCF (31st in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 92.4). The Knights figure to have the edge on that end of the court.
UCF comes into the game with records of 9-4 straight up (SU) and 6-2 against the spread (ATS). Of the Knights’ 8 games that accepted bets, seven have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, East Carolina is 6-6 SU and 1-4 ATS. Similarly to UCF, Pirates games also have typically finished under the O/U total (60.0 percent).
After the Knights won both contests against the Pirates last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent contest, UCF won 61-58. UCF had a much better turnover percentage (15.2 vs. 22.3). East Carolina, meanwhile, did a fantastic job of converting from the charity stripe (10-11; 90.9 percent).
UCF Knights vs. East Carolina Pirates Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – UCF, ATS Winner – UCF, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, UCF is 4-1 ATS with 5 unders and 0 overs.
At home, East Carolina is 1-2 ATS with 2 overs and 1 under.
UCF averages 39.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 49th in the NCAA. East Carolina ranks 202nd in rebounds allowed per game (37.8).
The Pirates average 3.7 blocks per game, which ranks 85th in the NCAA. The Knights rank 145th in blocks allowed per game (4.5).
East Carolina ranks 181st in assists per game (12.7) while UCF ranks 225th (11.5).
The Pirates rank 234th in three pointers attempted per game (18.3) while the Knights rank 268th (15.4).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, UCF is 1-0 ATS with 1 under.
East Carolina is 0-2 ATS with 2 unders over their last five games.
The Knights’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 12.6, up from 4.2 for the season.
During their last five games, the Pirates have scored an average of 62.2 points per game (5.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 67.8 points per game (2.7 below their season average).
