UCF Knights vs. BYU Cougars Betting Picks

The 6-3 UCF Knights will meet up with the 10-1 BYU Cougars on Tuesday night for the Boca Raton Bowl at 7:00 PM ET in FAU Stadium. The Cougars come in as six-point favorites and we’re expecting a massive shootout with a 75.5 over/under. This is going to be a phenomenal game and a fun one to watch. You can tune in on ESPN. Let’s dive into who will win this game and cover the spread. Make sure to check out the rest of our CFB Picks and Predictions as we will have every single bowl game covered.

• Knights are 4-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
• Cougars are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 bowl games.
• Over is 4-0 in Knights last 4 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
• Over is 4-1 in Cougars last 5 bowl games.

This Knights team isn’t as good as some of the previous ones we’ve seen throughout the last 10 years, but they are still very talented and know their identity. Sophomore QB Dillon Gabriel is one of the best pure passers in CFB and he’s thrown it for 3,358 yards and 30 touchdowns with just four interceptions. This Central Florida passing attack is lethal and we’ve seen worse offenses have big games against BYU.

Gabriel has plenty of options on the outside and it starts with WR Marlon Williams as one of the best in the entire country. He’s up to 71 catches for 1,039 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging just under 15 yards per reception. Jaylon Robinson is the clear number two with 51 catches for 935 yards and five touchdowns. The third-leading receiver has 26 catches, and about 50% of the target share will go to Williams and Robinson. While they don’t run the ball a ton, HB Greg McRae is a phenomenal talent and he can break open any game.

There was a ton of hype all season around the Cougars, but that all came crashing down against Coastal Carolina when the Chanticleers made the Cougars offense look middling. They did turn things around with a 14-point victory over San Diego State, and they will need to step it up again facing off with a UCF team that’s capable of keeping up. It all starts with QB Zach Wilson, who’s going to end up being a top-10 pick in the NFL draft. Wilson can make every throw and is capable of taking off when none are available. He’s up to 3,627 yards with 30 touchdowns and three interceptions. This is going to be a QB showdown and nobody has outplayed Wilson this year.

WR Dax Milne is just as good as any wideout on UCF, and he’s hauled in 63 balls for 1,118 yards and eight scores. Milne is used effectively in both the screen game and with the deep ball. Tight end Isaac Rex has 32 catches on the season and 10 of them have been for touchdowns. He’s a beast in the RZ that Wilson looks for constantly. The running game is a two-headed attack wth Tyler Allgeier leading the way. BYU will attempt to run the ball early in order to open things up for the passing game.

I love UCF Knights to keep this game close. They are a battle-tested team and they will be ready to battle with BYU. Gabriel might not be as great as Zach Wilson, but he’s not far off when it comes to production. Gabriel can rip it to anywhere on the field and the Knights can keep up with the Cougars offense. BYU hasn’t looked great defensively in either of their last three games, and their offensive line is a bit banged up. This game is a toss-up in my eyes and I’ll take the six points with the Knights.

My favorite bet in this game is the over. Neither of these defenses are any good and there is more tape on both of them on how to beat them. These offenses are two of the best in the country and they both play extremely fast. I fully expect both of these teams to find their way into the 40’s and I wouldn’t be shocked if the winner gets to 50. The pace of this game will be similar to the SEC Championship, which got close to 100 points.