Colorado vs. Central Florida Pick
Can No. 4 Central Florida handle being a home favorite when it face No. 5 Colorado in the opening round of the NIT Tournament tonight at 7PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, UCF is the favorite at home, as the Golden Knights are getting odds of -2.5 points against Colorado at 7PM ET. The over/under total for the game is listed at 139.5 points. These two teams haven’t met in 10 years. They will play tonight from CFE Arena in Orlando, Florida.
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Central Florida put up a 21-11 record this season, including a 13-3 mark at home. The Knights finished fourth in the AAC. They went 14-13 against the spread this season and averaged 67.2 points per game on offense while allowing only 60.6 on defense. When at home, UCF is holding opponents to 56.5 points per contest. B.J. Taylor is leading his team with 17.2 points per contest while Tacko Fall is adding 11.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.
Colorado is 19-14 coming into this tournament with just a 4-8 record on the road. The Buffaloes finished seventh in the Pac-12, going 8-10. The Buffaloes aren’t great at the betting window either, going just 11-20-1 against the spread. They were only 4-11-1 against the spread away from home. Colorado averages 75.4 points per game on offense while allowing 72 points per game on defense. On defense, Colorado is giving up 77.2 points per game. Derrick White is leading the team with 17.7 points per game while Xavier Johnson is adding 14.8 points and 6 rebounds per game.
Colorado hasn’t been a team you can trust on the road. The Buffaloes really struggle on defense and they are facing a team that will limit their offensive ability. The Knights really lock up opponents at home. While the UCF offense isn’t tremendous, it should be able to boost its average against this Colorado defense.
NIT TOURNAMENT PREDICTION: CENTRAL FLORIDA -2.5