Central Florida (10-2) vs Kansas (9-3)
January 5, 2025 at 04:00 PM EST
The Line: Betting Odds: Central Florida +5 / Kansas -5 — Over/Under: 148.5
The Kansas Jayhawks are visiting the UCF Knights on Sunday, January 5th at the Addition Financial Arena. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Kansas Jayhawks vs UCF Knights Prediction. We will examine:
The UCF Knights’ recent form and player performance
The Kansas Jayhawks’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the UCF Knights
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Kansas Jayhawks
Recent betting trends in games played between Kansas Jayhawks and UCF Knights
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Kansas Jayhawks vs UCF Knights game
UCF Knights Preview
The UCF Knights have a 10-2 record this season and are sitting on the 4th place in the Big 12. UCF is coming off an 87-83 loss to Texas Tech. The Knights are 6-6 against the spread, and 8-4 in over/under, while having an 8-0 home record.
Offensively, UCF is averaging 81.3 points per game, which is 63rd in the nation. Defensively, they allow 74.8 points per game (275th). The Knights shoot 44.2% from the field (232nd) and 35% from beyond the arc (128th). The Knights shoot 77.9% from the free-throw line (24th) and are grabbing 38.3 rebounds per game (91st).
Keyshawn Hall leads UCF in scoring with an average of 15.8 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds, while Jordan Ivy-Curry adds 15.7 points and 3.2 rebounds.
Kansas Jayhawks Preview
The Kansas Jayhawks have a 9-3 record this season and are sitting in the 12th place of the Big 12. Kansas is coming off a 61-62 loss to West Virginia. The Jayhawks are 6-6 against the spread, and 1-11 in over/under while having a 0-2 road record.
Offensively, Kansas is averaging 77.7 points per game, which ranks 128th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 65.7 points per game (57th). The Jayhawks shoot 49.1% from the field (37th) and 34.8% from beyond the arc (131st). The Jayhawks shoot 74.1% from the free-throw line (110th) and are grabbing 37.8 rebounds per game (114th).
Hunter Dickinson leads Kansas in scoring with an average of 15.1 points and a team-high 10.4 rebounds, while Zeke Mayo adds 14.7 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.
Why the UCF Knights will win
- UCF has won each of its last eight games at Addition Financial Arena.
- Kansas has lost six of its last seven road games against the Big 12 Conference.
- UCF has won the first half in each of its last seven games.
Why the Kansas Jayhawks will win
- UCF has lost eight of its last nine games against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents.
- Kansas has won 27 of its last 31 day games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- UCF has lost the first half in four of its last five home games against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents.
Kansas Jayhawks vs UCF Knights Prediction
In their only previous meeting last season, UCF won 65-60 at home, covering the spread as the game went under the total. In this Kansas Jayhawks vs UCF Knights Prediction, Kansas is coming as -5 road favorites. UCF is better offensively, scoring 3.6 points more than Kansas, while Kansas is better defensively, allowing 9.1 points less. The Jayhawks are winning by an average of 12 points this season, while the Knights are winning by an average of 6.5 points. Both teams have been excellent this season and both are 6-6 against the spread. The Jayhawks’ elite defense which ranks top-60 in the nation, cancels out UCF’s elite offense, which is top 70 nationally. The Knights have been playing excellent defense lately, despite being a bottom-90 defensive team in the nation, as they have allowed 66 points or less in three of their last five games. Kansas is all about low-scoring games this season with 11-1 to the under, so I’m expecting a low-scoring game today. Take the under.