Central Florida at BYU Odds
Written by Jack Jones - Google +
The BYU Cougars meet up with the Central Florida Knights on Friday, September 23 in week 4 college football action. Both teams are coming off bad losses as favorites, and each will certainly be hungry for a victory because of it. If you are interested in watching this contest, then tune in to ESPN at 8:00 EST Friday night.
Odds makers have installed BYU as a 3-point home favorite at most books.
BYU
After opening the season with a huge win at Ole Miss by a final of 14-13, the Cougars have faltered the last few weeks. They were beaten 17-16 at Texas, and they suffered a disheartening 54-10 setback at home against Utah last week. BYU committed seven turnovers, and it was their first loss to an in-state opponent since 2005. The Cougars actually led 10-7 late in the second quarter, but Utah reeled off 47 unanswered points the rest of the way.
Quarterback Jake Heaps had a decent game, throwing for 305 yards and a touchdown. But an interception and two fumbles really cost his team in their loss to the Utes. If they are going to take some pressure off of Heaps, they are going to have to run the ball better. The Cougars rushed 22 times for just 11 yards last week, and they rank 113th in the country in rushing yards per game (48.3).
For the season, Heaps has completed 57.9 percent of his passes for 722 yards and three touchdowns to four interceptions. JJ Di Luigi has had a rough go of it on the ground, rushing for just 126 yards and 3.8 per carry. Cody Hoffman is their leading receiver with 158 yards on 11 receptions. Ross Apo has 12 receptions for 140 yards, including a team-high three touchdowns.
Central Florida
The UCF Knights got off to an impressive 2-0 start to the season. They blanked Charleston Southern 62-0 before crushing Boston College 30-3. It appeared the Knights were on there way to a 3-0 start last week before a costly fumble at the end of the first half against Florida International when they were leading 7-0. Quarterback Jeff Godfrey coughed it up, and FIU’s Isame Faciane returned it 51 yards for a touchdown with only six seconds remaining in the half to tie it at 7-7. The Panthers capitalized on that momentum, and went on for a 17-10 victory despite getting outgained 300-238 for the game, dropping UCF to 2-1.
The Knights featured one of the most stingy defenses in the country through three weeks. They rank No. 2 in total defense (166.0 yards/game) and No. 1 in passing defense (93.7). Offensively, they are racking up 427.3 yards/game which ranks them No. 41 in the land. Their bread and butter is a running game that ranks No. 21 at 223.3 yards/game on the ground.
Godfrey is completing 69.4 percent of his passes for 468 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He is also second on the team in rushing with 156 yards and a team-high six touchdowns. The backfield trio of Ronnie Weaver (160 yards, one TD), Brynn Harvey (140 yards) and Latavius Murray (121 yards, three TD) is perhaps the best in the nation. Adam Nissley (nine receptions, 140 yards) and Quincy McDuffie (13 receptions, 125 yards) have been their go-to receivers.
Betting Trends
The Knights have responded very well following a loss, going a perfect 8-0 against the spread in their last eight in this situation. UCF has been a road warrior as well, posting a 13-3 ATS mark in their last 16 roadies. Overall, UCF is 37-18-1 ATS in their last 56 games. The only trend going against this team is that the Knights are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
The Cougars are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a SU loss of more than 20 points. After getting embarrassed, this team has responded well as you can see. BYU is also 4-0 ATS in their last four vs. a team with a winning record. They have been slow starters the past few seasons, going 1-5 ATS in their last six September contests.
If you want winning advice on the outcome of this game, then trust in expert handicapper Jack Jones to come through for you this Friday.
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