No. 3 Kansas vs. UCF Big 12 basketball odds, trends: Biggest home game ever for Knights, who haven't beaten ranked team in four years
UCF has a rare sellout tonight as it hosts No. 3 Kansas.
loading...
loading...
The University of Central Florida's men's basketball team started playing at Addition Financial Arena in the 2007-08 season and has had just one sellout since then -- March 22, 2017, a matchup with Illinois as part of UCF's run to the NIT semifinals. On Wednesday night, the Knights will host their biggest game ever, a sellout with No. 3 Kansas visiting Orlando. The Jayhawks are 8-point favorites on the SportsLine consensus in the first Big 12 home game for new conference member UCF.
Coach Johnny Dawkins' team will look to snap a seven-game losing streak against ranked opponents. Of those seven games, four were against a team in the top 10 and six against a team in the top 15. Houston was that team in those six occurrences, as both programs were AAC foes (Houston is also in the Big 12 now). Central Florida's last win over a top-25 foe was at No. 15 Florida State on Dec. 19, 2020. Of UCF's eight wins against ranked teams, five have been under Dawkins.
While UCF isn't a threat to win the Big 12, it's a good team at 9-4 and an upset is very possible. The Knights are 89-29 at home under Dawkins. UCF lost by only two in Orlando to a good Ole Miss team on Dec. 10. Its lone game against a ranked team this season was at No. 13 Miami early in the season and the Hurricanes won 88-72.
The Knights played their first-ever Big 12 game on Saturday and were rolled at Kansas State, 77-52. That lopsided result probably has juiced this spread up a bit --the SportsLine Projection Model only has Kansas as one point better.
UCF averages 5.6 blocks per game, which ranks 13th in the nation. Ibrahima Diallo leads the Big 12 in blocks per game at 2.15 and Omar Payne is sixth at 1.46. In addition, the Knights rank 13th nationally in turnovers forced per game at 16.69 (9.5 steals). Nearly 23% of UCF's possessions on offense have begun with a turnover forced by its defense.
Kansas (13-1) only has a loss to then-No. 4 Marquette in Hawaii around Thanksgiving. Coach Bill Self's team has won nine in a row since then, but was pushed hard by TCU in the Big 12 opener on Saturday at home, escaping 83-81. It was Kansas' whopping 33rd straight conference-opening win.
The Jayhawks are always one of the country's top offensive teams and this year is no different. Kansas shoots 50.7% from the floor, which is seventh nationally, and hands out 21.3 assists per game, which is second. All-American center Hunter Dickinson, a National Player of the Year candidate, leads the Big 12 and is second nationally in rebounds per game at 12.4 while putting up 19.4 points per game. He's the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double. His nine double-doubles lead the league and are sixth nationally.
Guard Kevin McCullar Jr. leads the nation in triple-doubles with two and leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.4 PPG, which is 21st nationally. Backcourt mate Dajuan Harris Jr. leads the Big 12 in assists per game at 7.0, ranking sixth in the nation. Forward KJ Adams Jr. is second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage at 63.2%, which is 16th nationally.
This will be the first meeting between Kansas and UCF in men's basketball.
Get more out of your SportsLine subscription!
Qualifying SportsLine members receive a 30-day free trial of Paramount+ Essential. Sync your account right here.