Halftime Report
After a tough loss on the road their last time out, UCF looks much better today on their home court. They have jumped out to a quick 38-32 lead against Baylor.
If UCF keeps playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 13-7 in no time. On the other hand, Baylor will have to make due with a 14-6 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Baylor Bears @ UCF Knights
Current Records: Baylor 14-5, UCF 12-7
How To Watch
What to Know
We’ve got another exciting Big 12 matchup on schedule as the Baylor Bears and the UCF Knights are set to tip at 7:00 p.m. ET on January 31st at Addition Financial Arena. Baylor has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they’ve increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Baylor fought the good fight in their overtime match against the Horned Frogs on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Horned Frogs by a score of 105-102. Baylor didn’t live up to their potential and found themselves falling short of the advantage oddsmakers thought they had coming into the game.
Baylor’s loss shouldn’t obscure the performances of Yves Missi, who almost dropped a double-double on 25 points and nine rebounds, and RayJ Dennis who dropped a double-double on 24 points and ten assists. As a matter of fact, that’s the most points Missi has scored all season. Ja’Kobe Walter was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with seven rebounds and five assists.
Meanwhile, the Knights came up short against the Bearcats on Saturday and fell 68-57. UCF got off to an early lead (up 12 with 1:04 left in the first quarter), but sadly they weren’t able to maintain that momentum.
Despite their loss, UCF saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Marchelus Avery, who scored 19 points along with seven rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Avery didn’t help UCF’s cause all that much against the Mountaineers last Tuesday but the same can’t be said for this contest. Another player making a difference was Jaylin Sellers, who scored 19 points.
The Bears’ loss ended a ten-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 14-5. As for the Knights, their loss dropped their record down to 12-7.
Wednesday’s match is shaping up to be a blowout: Baylor just can’t miss this season, having made 49.5% of their shots per game. It’s a different story for UCF, though, as they’ve only made 40.6% of their shots this season. Given Baylor’s sizable advantage in that area, the Knights will need to find a way to close that gap.
Looking forward, Baylor is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by three points. For those looking to play the spread, take note: they are a solid 10-5 against the spread when expected to win.
Odds
Baylor is a 3-point favorite against UCF, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 3-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is set at 139.5 points.
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