Tulsa’s season has come undone as the Golden Hurricane have lost four straight games, including a 66-44 loss at Memphis in their most recent road trip. Tulsa is a money-burning 3-8 ATS in its last eleven road games versus teams with a winning home record, 3-7 ATS in its last ten games as an underdog of 6.5-points or less and 1-4 ATS in its last five road tilts when getting 6.5-points or less from the oddsmakers.
Let’s also note that the home team is 5-0-1 ATS in the last six meetings in this series, while the Golden Hurricane are just 1-6-1 ATS in their last eight trips to Central Florida. Tulsa’s offense has stalled away from home where it’s averaging just 64.3 points per game on 40.6% shooting from the field. The Golden Hurricane are averaging a woeful 58.6 points over their last five games (38.4% FG%) and are shooting just 40.7% from the floor in American Athletic Conference play.
Those struggles will only continue against a stifling Central Florida defense that is allowing just 61.2 points per game (35.8% FG%; 30.8% 3-PT%) to teams that would combine to average 71.6 points per game. The Knights are 11-3 SU at home this season where they are limiting opponents to a mere 57.3 points per game on 33.2% shooting from the field and 29.9% from beyond the arc.
Overall, the Knights’ stop unit is 10.4 points per game better than average this season, which gives them a significant 10.2 points per game advantage over Tulsa’s pedestrian attack (67.6 points per game against teams that would combine to allow 67.4 points per game).
Central Florida is also one of the best rebounding teams in college basketball, ranking 2nd-nationally in rebounds per game (42.7), 3rd in rebound margin (10.4) and 9th in total rebounds (1068). In contrast, Tulsa ranks 197th-nationally in rebounds per game (35.6) and 120th in rebound margin (2.0).
Finally, Central Florida takes the floor with legitimate revenge after suffering a 77-66 loss at Tulsa on January 28. Lay the points with Central Florida as Oskeim Sports’ Free College Basketball Pick in the American Athletic Conference!
Oskeim Sports’ American Athletic Conference Free Sports Pick: Central Florida (-6) (-110)