Offense meets defense when the No. 7 Wichita State Shockers (15-4, 5-2 AAC) welcome the UCF Knights (13-6, 4-3 AAC) to Charles Koch Arena. The game will air on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 25, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 128 points with Wichita State opening as a 13.5-point favorite.
UCF Knights vs. Wichita State Shockers ATS Prediction
In the Knights’ last game, they beat the South Florida Bulls, 71-69. UCF’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest strength over South Florida. The Knights had a rate of 0.592 (above their season average of 0.480), while the Bulls posted a mark of 0.474. UCF received a boost from B.J. Taylor, who was the game’s high scorer with 25 points on 6-for-16 shooting.
The Shockers fell to the Houston Cougars in their last contest, 73-59. Houston’s turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over Wichita State. The Cougars had a rate of 12.6 (better than their season average of 15.7), while the Shockers posted a mark of 20.7 (above their season average of 14.8). Shaquille Morris put together a good game for Wichita State, leading the team in scoring with 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the prolific offense of Wichita State (11th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 118.4) takes on the elite defense of UCF (fifth in the NCAA with a defensive efficiency of 89.7).
UCF heads into the contest with records of 13-6 straight up (SU) and 9-5 against the spread (ATS). Of the Knights’ 14 games with betting action, 12 have finished under the total.
Wichita State has a phenomenal 15-4 SU record, but they have difficulty covering the spread (7-10 ATS). Coinciding with UCF, just over half of Shockers games have finished under the O/U total.
UCF Knights at Wichita State Shockers ATS Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Wichita State, ATS Winner – UCF, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Wichita State ranks fourth in assists per game (18.8) while UCF ranks 239th (11.3).
The Shockers rank 83rd in three pointers attempted per game (24.1) while the Knights rank 276th (15.8).
Wichita State ranks 46th in blocks per game (4.5) while UCF ranks 157th in blocks allowed per game (4.3).
The Shockers rank fifth in rebounds per game (41.5) while the Knights rank 83rd (37.5).
Betting Trends:
The Knights’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 2.4, down from 4.5 for the season.
During their last five games, the Shockers have scored an average of 79.8 points per game (3.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 68.4 points per game (0.9 below their season average).
