The No. 12 UCF Knights lay their perfect 7-0 record on the line when they host the Temple Owls at Bright House Networks Stadium on Thursday night. The Owls are riding a three-game winning streak of their own but open as a 10-point underdog in this contest. The two schools have had an average combined score of 56.8 in their last five meetings and this week’s total opened at 61 points.
- Central Florida is 9-3 SU and ATS in its last 12 games on Thursday.
- The total has gone UNDER in Central Florida’s last four games (avg. combined score: 58.75).
- Central Florida is 11-0 SU in its last 11 games at home (avg. winning margin: 28.09).
Knights seek 21st straight win
Following a perfect 13-0 record in 2017, including a 34-27 victory over Auburn in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, UCF has continued its strong play with seven straight wins this season. The Knights did have a close game on the road against Memphis 31-30 in Week 7. They were able to get past East Carolina 37-10 in Week 8 without starting quarterback McKenzie Milton, who stood on the sidelines for what head coach Josh Heupel said was overall health reasons.
The Knights are a well-balanced squad that scores an average of 44.4 points per game, which is the fifth-most in the nation, while surrendering just 18.1 ppg, which is the 15th-fewest in college football. They average the seventh-most rushing yards per game at 261.1, but they have a committee backfield, with seven different players rushing for 100 or more yards and touchdowns. Meanwhile, the man under center, Milton, has thrown for 1,797 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Temple coming off an impressive win
Prior to their bye, the Owls handed Cincinnati its first loss of the season, earning a narrow 24-17 overtime triumph. Both teams played strong defensively and Temple capitalized on short field opportunities to secure its win over then-No. 20 Cincinnati. The game didn’t come without adversity, though, as Owls quarterback Anthony Russo completed just 48.8 percent of his passes, throwing for 237 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
The Owls defense carries the squad in most games, ranking 30th in the nation by allowing just 21.4 points per game, while their offense is scoring 30.5 ppg, which ranks 59th in college football. Most notably on defense, Temple allows just 147.5 passing yards per game, the fourth-lowest in the nation, and this can be attributed to the pressure put on opposing quarterbacks as it has racked up 23 sacks, which ranks 19th in the nation.
UNDER trending in this contest
There are trends that point toward the UNDER between UCF and Temple and Sportsbook has tonight’s total Sportsbook at 61 points. The Knights have gone UNDER in each of their last four games with an average combined score of 58.75, while the Owls have gone UNDER in four of their last six games with an average combined score of 52.33. Meanwhile, both teams are responsible on the defensive side of the ball with UCF surrendering just 18.1 ppg and Temple allowing 21.4 ppg. Lastly, Temple and UCF have had an average combined score of 56.8 through their last five meetings.
My take on Temple vs UCF
I will be on the UNDER 61 points for this Thursday night contest. Temple has gone UNDER 61 points in six of its eight games this season, while UCF has either pushed or gone UNDER 61 points in four of its seven games. Meanwhile, the total has gone UNDER in each of Temple’s last three games following its bye week with an average combined score of 30.33. Lastly, the Owls are allowing the fourth-fewest passing yards per game at 147.5 which should limit McKenzie Milton’s attack.
