We've got another exciting Big 12 matchup on schedule as the top-ranked Houston Cougars and the UCF Knights are set to tip at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Addition Financial Arena. UCF is 15-13 overall and 11-6 at home, while Houston is 26-3 overall and 6-3 on the road. Jerry Palm of CBS Sports currently projects Houston to be a No. 1 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The Cougars are favored by 8.5 points in the latest UCF vs. Houston odds via SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 130.5 points. Before entering any UCF vs. Houston picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 season on a 141-100 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It is also off to a sizzling 26-17 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Houston vs. UCF. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the game:
- UCF vs. Houston spread: Houston -8.5
- UCF vs. Houston over/under: 130.5 points
- UCF vs. Houston money line: Houston: -406, UCF +316
- UCF vs. Houston picks: See picks here
What you need to know about Houston
Houston entered its game with Oklahoma with six consecutive wins and the the Cougars were able to make it seven in thrilling fashion. The Cougars got by the Sooners 87-85 on Saturday thanks to a clutch jump shot from Jamal Shead that beat the buzzer. Houston's victory was a true team effort, with several players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was J'Wan Roberts, who scored 20 points along with five rebounds. L.J. Cryer was another key contributor, scoring 23 points.
While Houston has been excellent from a straight-up perspective, the Cougars haven't been a great team to bet on this season. Houston is 14-15 against the spread and just 4-9 ATS on the road, so it will need to be sharp to handle this line that is approaching double digits.
What you need to know about UCF
Meanwhile, UCF fell to Iowa State 60-52 on Saturday. The loss snapped a brief two-game winning streak. The Knights looked like a team that could end up pushing for the NCAA Tournament earlier this season as they beat Kansas and Texas early in Big 12 play.
However, the wheels have fallen off a bit since then as UCF has now lost five of its last seven. UCF, however, is above .500 against the spread this season (15-12-1) and is 10-6-1 ATS at home. The Knights also stayed within the 17.5-point spread against Houston when they met for the first time on Jan. 20 as the Cougars prevailed 57-42 at home.
How to make UCF vs. Houston picks
The model has simulated UCF vs. Houston 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, 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.
Who wins Houston vs. UCF, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out, all from the model that's 26-17 on top-rated college basketball spread picks this season.
