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| Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Central Florida Knights |
The Knights of Central Florida own first place in the American Athletic Conference, although they had to fight like heck to hang on to that perch over the weekend.
This week the Knights will try to hold that high ground they host the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers for a Thursday nighter down in Orlando.
UCF is 5-0 in AAC play, but needed a minor miracle to beat Temple Saturday 39-36. The Knights trailed by a touchdown with two minutes to go but scored twice, winning on a short field goal as time ran out. However, for the second straight week Central Florida failed to cover the spread as double-digit chalk.
Rutgers, meanwhile, has lost three of its last four games, and at 5-4 needs one more victory to become bowl-eligible.
In the early betting UCF was favored by 17 points over the Scarlet Knights but it was bet higher at Sportsbook. Central Florida is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home.
The Knights sit at 8-1 (6-3 ATS) on the season; in comparison, the Scarlet Knights are currently 5-4 (3-6 ATS). Looking to wager on the totals? Central Florida is 4-5 OU, and Rutgers is 5-4 OU.
View Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Central Florida Knights Odds and Stats.
Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had the Knights pegged as 14.5-point favorites in this matchup. The total, meanwhile, had yet to be posted as of writing - check the lines shortly.
The game pits the Knights, currently No. 11 in our OddsShark NCAAF Power Rankings, against the Scarlet Knights, who rate No. 86 in the latest survey. Meanwhile, math and handicapping models run on this game predict a 41-25 victory for the Knights.
In their last action, Rutgers was a 52-17 loser at home against Cincinnati. They failed to cover the 1.5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (69) was profitable news for OVER bettors. Blake Bortles's 404-yard performance through the air was enough last time out, as Central Florida earned a 39-36 win over Temple on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Central Florida's No. 30-ranked offense, averaging 35.22 PPG, against a Scarlet Knights defense that ranks No. 93 this week at 31.44 PPG. The Knights aerial game is averaging 285 yards per game, less than the Scarlet Knights secondary allows through the air, 327.89 YPG per game.
In comparing defenses, the Scarlet Knights own the league's No. 9-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 102 yards per game when on the road. Central Florida, on the other hand, rates No. 89 this week in generating rushing yards at home.
A few Scarlet Knights at Knights trends to consider:
Rutgers is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Rutgers is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Rutgers's last 6 games
Rutgers is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Central Florida is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
Central Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Central Florida is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Central Florida is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Next up:
Rutgers at Connecticut, Saturday, November 30th
Central Florida home to South Florida, Friday, November 29th
