The Central Florida Knights have had to wait a little longer than expected to kick off their 2020 season – but they’re still regarded as one of the most dangerous teams in the nation as they tangle with host Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Knights are favored by just over a touchdown against a Georgia Tech club (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) that opened with a 16-13 win over Florida State.
- Date/Time: September 19, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field
- TV Coverage: ABC
- Sportsbook Odds: UCF -7.5 | O/U 62 (Line History)
- UCF vs Georgia Tech Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Knights kicked off the proceedings as 7.5-point favorites; they saw just two spreads of fewer than eight points in the entire 2019 season.
UCF News & Notes
The Knights have been known for having one of the most prolific offenses in college football – and that should continue in 2020, with standout quarterback Dillon Gabriel back to lead an attack that produced the second-most yards per game in Division I last season (541). He’ll also have two of his biggest receiving threats back in the fold in Tre Nixon and Marlon Williams.
While daily fantasy players would be wise to target any or all three of these options even against a stout Yellow Jackets defense, the running back situation is a little less defined. UCF returns three elite rushers in Otis Anderson, Bentavious Thompson and Greg McRae, who combined for 1,859 yards and 20 touchdowns between them. Good luck guessing the hot hand.
Georgia Tech News & Notes
The Yellow Jackets struggled in Year 1 of their quest to shift from a triple-option offense to a more balanced attack – but while there were definite hiccups in their 2020 season opener, the end result was a success. Georgia Tech amassed more than 400 yards of total offense vs the Seminoles (including 277 through the air) while going 8-for-16 on third downs.
Quarterback Jeff Sims is the best daily fantasy option out of this group given his abilities as a two-way threat. While he wasn’t perfect against FSU (throwing for 277 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions), he added a team-high 64 yards on the ground to keep the Seminoles sufficiently off balance. He was also sacked just once in the victory.
Betting Pick: UNDER 62 (-110)
We’re big believers in the Georgia Tech defense – and they’ve had an extra week of game situations over the Knights, who will need some time to get that big-time offense sorted.
- UCF is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games.
- Georgia Tech is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 home games.
- UCF is 2-5 SU in the last 7 games overall.
