The UCF Knights will try to bounce back from a pair of crushing losses when they face the South Florida Bulls on Wednesday night. UCF is coming off back-to-back last-second defeats against Memphis and Cincinnati, falling to seventh place in the American Athletic Conference standings. South Florida has dropped three of its last four games, including an 84-66 loss to Tulane on Saturday.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Knights are favored by 9 points in the latest UCF vs. South Florida odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 140.5. Before entering any South Florida vs. UCF picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 16 of the season 71-42 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UCF vs. South Florida. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for UCF vs. South Florida:
- UCF vs. South Florida spread: UCF -9
- UCF vs. South Florida over/under: 140.5 points
- UCF vs. South Florida money line: UCF -455, South Florida +345
- UCF vs. South Florida picks: See picks here
Why UCF can cover
UCF might be on a two-game losing streak, but both losses came on last-second shots against quality teams. The Knights were able to cover the spread as 6.5-point underdogs in their 64-63 loss to Memphis last Thursday after beating Wichita State and Tulsa in their previous two games. They are in a revenge spot on Wednesday after losing to South Florida in the first meeting this season.
Freshman forward Taylor Hendricks leads UCF with 14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, while senior guards Ithiel Horton and C.J. Kelly are both averaging 12.0 points. The Knights are 8-0 in their last eight home games in this rivalry, and they have won 12 of the last 16 meetings overall. South Florida is just 4-10 in its last 14 games and is coming off a blowout loss against Tulane.
Why South Florida can cover
South Florida is going to enter this game with confidence after putting together one of its best showings of the season in its 85-72 win against UCF on Jan. 21. The Bulls were 4-point home underdogs in that game, but senior guard Tyler Harris poured in 33 points on 7-of-18 shooting, knocking down all 13 of his attempts from the charity stripe. Harris added seven assists and six rebounds in that win.
He has been the team's best player throughout the season, averaging 16.8 points and 3.5 assists per game. He has received help from junior center Russel Tchewa, who is scoring 11.5 points and grabbing 8.4 rebounds per contest. The Bulls have been undervalued in recent meetings with UCF, covering the spread in six of the last eight head-to-head games.
How to make UCF vs. South Florida picks
The model has simulated South Florida vs. UCF 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins UCF vs. South Florida? And which side of the spread is hitting well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 71-42 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.
