The UCF Knights head to Houston on Saturday for an early Big 12 clash. UCF is looking to build off a victory over TCU last weekend, a game in which they benefited from four Frog turnovers. Houston ought to finish near the top of this conference, but they did lose the conference opener in a tough game at Texas Tech. Houston needs to hold serve at home here. These teams will also be dealing with some potential weather on Saturday, which is another factor to consider ahead of this contest. I like the game total under 51.5 as a result.
UCF has largely struggled on offense this season. They are expecting a lot from the passing game, but so far it has proven to be mostly just a short, even if accurate, attack. They only managed 160 yards in the air against TCU, which is worrisome. The Houston defense is good, and they will provide problems for the Knights. On the other side, the UCF secondary is one of the better units in the conference, which should also slow down Conner Weigman and the Houston passing attack. Houston is the better team, and I expect them to win by 10 to 14 points, but if they don’t blow UCF away, this game is likely to stay close and low-scoring. I do not expect the Knights to light up the scoreboard, and when you add in the weather, this game could be a sneaky under.
UCF vs Houston prediction: Under 51.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to 50.5.
