The Baylor Bears (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) visit the UCF Knights (4-3, 2-2) Friday for a 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) kickoff at Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando, Florida. Let's analyze college football odds around the Baylor vs. UCF odds and make our expert college football picks and predictions for the best bets.
Baylor has dropped back-to-back games after losing 25-24 Saturday at the Kansas Jayhawks, covering as a 1.5-point road underdog with the Under (54.5) hitting. QB DJ Lagway threw for 236 yards with a TD and INT, while leading the team on the ground with 47 rushing yards. WR Gavin Freeman hauled in 9 receptions for 123 yards in the losing effort.
On Sunday, Baylor fired Dave Aranda as coach after 7 seasons and a 40-40 record. Defensive coordinator Joe
Klanderman was named interim coach for the remainder of the season.
UCF snapped a 2-game skid with a 39-31 double overtime victory over then No. 2 BYU Cougars Saturday, covering as a 7.5-point home underdog with the Over (43.5) hitting with ease. QB Keyone Jenkins threw for 293 yards with 3 TDs, while adding 35 yards and a TD on the ground. The Knights ran for 170 yards and 2 TDs in the upset victory.
Baylor won 30-3 in Waco, Texas, last season to take a 2-1 series lead over UCF.
– Rankings: US LBM Coaches Poll, conducted by the American Football Coaches Association and USA TODAY Sports
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Baylor at UCF odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 11:33 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Baylor -120 (bet $120 to win $100) | UCF +105 (bet $100 to win $105)
- Against the spread (ATS): Baylor -2 (-110) | UCF +2 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 48.5 (O: -105 | U: -112)
Baylor at UCF picks and predictions
Prediction
UCF 34, Baylor 31
Moneyline
BET UCF (+105).
The Knights are coming off a momentum-building victory over the No. 2 team in the country, never trailing by more than a touchdown. They are undefeated at home this season (4-0) and have won 2 of their last 4 games outright when entering as underdogs. While the Bears have plenty of firepower and started 4-1, they have fallen in back-to-back games, losing that initial momentum. And now they have lost their coach.
Against the spread
PASS.
The moneyline has better value for the Knights.
Over/Under
BET OVER 48.5 (-115).
The Bears have a tendency to score in droves. They have scored at least 23 points in 5 of their last 6 games, while scoring at least 36 in 3 of their last 6. They have allowed at least 19 in 3 of their last 5, while this total is their lowest all season.
The Knights have scored at least 28 in back-to-back weeks and 4 times this season. They have scored at least 21 points in 4 of their last 5. They have also struggled on the defensive end, allowing at least 27 in 3 straight weeks and 4 times in their last 5 contests.
Best prop bet
BET ANY TEAM TO SCORE 30+ POINTS: YES (-110 on DraftKings Sportsbook).
The Knights have allowed at least 30 points in 3 of their last 5, including back-to-back games. They have scored a combined 67 points in back-to-back weeks, with the offense having no issues against BYU.
Baylor has scored more than 30 points 3 times, while allowing 25 to Kansas last weekend, a team with a worse offense than the Knights.
Betting odds calculator
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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: Baylor Bears at UCF Knights odds, picks and predictions
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