The Greenbriar Tip-off continues as Wisconsin faces UCF. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Wisconsin-UCF prediction and pick.
Wisconsin comes into the game at 5-0 on the year. They opened up with wins over Holy Cross, Montana State, and App State before having to face a ninth-ranked Arizona squad. They were dominant in the game, and held the lead almost the entire game, with Arizona trying it up early in the second half, but falling behind against quickly. Wisconsin would win the game 103-88. Since then, they struggled with UT Rio Grande, winning just 87-84. Meanwhile, UCF is 4-0 on the year as well. They opened their season with a 64-61 win over 13th-ranked Texas A&M. Since then, they have wins over Purdue Fort Wayne, FAU, and Tennessee Tech.
Here are the Wisconsin-UCF College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Wisconsin-UCF Odds
Wisconsin: -4.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -188
UCF: +4.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +155
Over: 149.5 (-102)
Under: 149.5 (-120)
How to Watch Wisconsin vs. UCF
Time: 5:00 PM ET/ 2:00 PM PT
TV: CBS Sports Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Wisconsin Will Cover The Spread/Win
Wisconsin is ranked 40th in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are 19th in offensive efficiency and 82nd on the defensive end of the court. Wisconsin has scored well this year. They are 24th in the nation in points per game, while sitting 50th in effective field goal percentage. Further, they are 45th in the nation in assist to turnover ratio.
John Tonje has led the way for Wisconsin. He is scoring 22.6 points per game this year while adding five rebounds, 1.6 assists, and a steal per game on the season. He is joined in the backcourt by John Blackwell. Blackwell comes in with 16.2 points per game, while he also adds 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Finally, Max Klesmit is scoring 14.4 points per game, while also adding 1.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Klesmit also has 2.2 steals er game this year.
In the frontcourt, Steven Crowl leads the scoring group. He is scoring 9.4 points per game but also adds 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this year. He is joined by Nolan Winter. Winter leads the team in rebounding, having 5.2 rebounds per game. He also scored 8.2 points and has added an assist per game. Finally, Xavier Amos had 5.8 points per game this year, while he has contributed three rebounds per game.
Why UCF Will Cover The Spread/Win
UCF is ranked 66th in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are 76th in offensive efficiency and 65th on the defensive end of the court. UCF is 99th in the nation in points per game but has been solid in the rebounding game. They are 44th in the nation in rebounds per game, while they are 56th in the nation in offensive rebounding rate.
Jordan Ivy-Curry leads the team in scoring this year. He is scoring 17.8 points per game on the year, while also adding 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Further, he has been great on defense, coming in with 2.5 steals per game. He is joined in the backcourt by the team’s leading rebounder. Keyshawn Hall comes in with 7.5 rebounds per game, while also adding 17.5 points and 2.8 assists on the year. Finally, Darius Johnson leads the team in assists per gamer. He is scoring 14.5 points per game while adding 3.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He has also been strong on defense, with 2.3 steals per game this year.
The frontcourt is led by JJ Taylor and Benny Williams. Taylor is scoring just 8.3 points per game but does add two rebounds per game. Williams has 7.8 points per game and has been solid on the glass. He adds 5.23 rebounds per game. Finally, Center Moustpha Thiam gets solid minutes. He brings in five points per game and 4.3 rebounds. He also has two blocks per game this year.
Final Wisconsin-UCF Prediction & Pick
Wisconsin comes into the game at 5-0, but 3-2 against the spread. They did win as an underdog against Arizona though. UCF is just 2-2 against the spread this year. They also have a win as an underdog and have covered both times when the spread is ten or fewer points. This game will come down to turnovers though. Wisconsin is 36th in the nation in turnovers per game this year and 41st in turnovers per play. Further, opponents turnover the ball on 16.8 percent of their possessions against Wisconsin. UCF is 205th in turnovers per game, while 175th in turnovers per play this year. Further, opponents turnover the ball on just 14.4 percent of possessions against UCF. The turnover battle will give Wisconsin a few extra possessions, and with them being the better shooting team as well, that will be the difference.
Final Wisconsin-UCF Prediction & Pick: Wisconsin -4.5 (-105)
The post Wisconsin vs. UCF prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
