UCF vs. Memphis Odds
| UCF Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 144 -110o / -110u | +200 |
| Memphis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 144 -110o / -110u | -250 |
UCF looks for the season sweep against Memphis on Saturday afternoon.
Memphis will be well rested for this matchup after its game against Cincinnati was cancelled due to a winter storm. That will leave the Tigers with an eight-day layoff between games, which will be useful for the program to heal up.
Questions surrounding the future of Emoni Bates have been circulating around the headlines. He was scheduled to miss the game against Cincinnati and his future with the program has come into question.
UCF will now look to take advantage of the drama-filled Memphis program. The Knights have won half of their 10 conference games this season, including a 10-point victory over Memphis earlier this month.
Central Florida has an opportunity to win this game outright as it goes for the season sweep of Memphis.
UCF Knights
UCF will also be rested for this matchup as it played just one game over the last week, a 68-49 victory over South Florida.
The Knights battled and held their own against Houston last week. Despite shooting just 35% from the floor, the program fought hard and showed that it can compete with the cream of the crop in the American.
The offense is reliant on the scoring of its trio of guards in Darin Green Jr., Darius Perry and Brandon Mahan. The three have combined to score 35 points per game and hit 37% of their 357 3-point attempts this season. Green Jr. lit up Memphis for 20 points in the first matchup, while hitting four of his nine 3-point shots.
The Knights have been stout at defending the perimeter, holding opponents to 30%, which is top 30 in the country. They have also been strong at forcing turnovers on 22% of their opponents’ possessions. That could be pivotal again, facing a Memphis team that coughs it up at a bottom-10 rate in the country.
Memphis Tigers
The Tigers are 5-4 in American Athletic play after sneaking past Tulsa and handling East Carolina. But the program has been without leading scorer DeAndre Williams for the last six games. In addition, Jalen Duren – who is one of the top centers in the country – has missed the last two games. And to make matters worse, top-five recruit of the 2021 class Emoni Bates is now considering leaving the program. Bates was expected to miss the game against Cincinnati with back problems.
Regardless of who suits up for Memphis, you can assume that you will see the same playing style: a frantic up-and-down pace that will include a few jaw dropping highlights, but an overall sloppy product.
The Tigers rank 350th in the nation in turnover percentage, coughing the ball up on 23% of their offensive possessions. They also can’t convert from the charity stripe, hitting less than 66% this season. Though the frantic playing style has Memphis getting to the free-throw line at a top-10 rate.
In the first matchup the Tigers were shorthanded with only eight players available at tipoff. UCF exposed the short-handed Tigers' biggest flaws early on and never looked back.
UCF vs. Memphis Betting Pick
All indications point that Emoni Bates and DeAndre Williams will not be playing in this matchup, but there is no indication about the rest of the roster at the time of writing.
In the first matchup between these programs UCF took advantage of the inevitable self-inflicted wounds of Memphis. The Tigers turned the ball over 19 times and left a dozen points at the charity stripe. Those mistakes seemingly occur on a nightly basis as Penny Hardaway’s group averages 17 turnovers a game.
This rematch will follow a similar blueprint as the first meeting. UCF's trio of guards will challenge the shorthanded Memphis lineup. The Knights average nearly nine made 3-pointers per game, which is second in the conference. They should find plenty of open looks from beyond the arc.
I'm taking the points in this matchup, but I don't think they will be needed. UCF wins this game on the road and sweeps the season series against Memphis.
