UCF Knights vs Oklahoma State Cowboys Prediction, 2/28/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UCF Knights vs Oklahoma State Cowboys

Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Location: Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, OK

TV: BIG12|ESPN+

The UCF Knights (14-12) are headed to Gallagher-Iba Arena on Wednesday where they will meet the Oklahoma State Cowboys (12-15).

The UCF Knights took the court against Texas Tech and earned the victory with a final of 75-61 in their last game. UCF finished the game having earned a 46.6% field goal percentage (27 of 58) and knocked down 6 of 12 three-point attempts. At the free throw line, the Knights made 15 of their 19 tries for a percentage of 78.9%. Concerning grabbing rebounds, they compiled 34 with 7 of them being on the offensive end. They also distributed 10 dimes for this contest as well as creating 14 turnovers and getting 11 steals. With regard to the defense, UCF allowed the other team to go 37.0% from the field on 20 out of 54 shooting. Texas Tech recorded 12 dimes and had 4 steals in the game. Additionally, Texas Tech snagged 31 rebounds (8 offensive, 23 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Texas Tech finished the game shooting 65.0% when shooting free throws by knocking down 13 of their 20 shots. They also made 8 of 28 attempts from 3-point range. Regarding personal fouls, the Knights ended up finishing with 16 and Texas Tech recorded 17 personal fouls.

Darius Johnson is someone who was a major factor in the matchup. He walked away from this one shooting 54.5% from the field and also earned 3 dimes. He was on the court for 24 mins and grabbed 1 rebound. He notched 20 points on 6 out of 11 shooting.

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UCF heads into this one with a mark of 14-12 on the season. They are averaging 72.0 points per game (238th in Division 1) while connecting on 41.8% from the floor. The Knights are shooting 31.7% on 3-point shots (182 of 574) and 70.4% from the charity stripe. As a unit, UCF is grabbing 38.0 boards per game and has accounted for 314 assists this season, which is 311th in D-1 in terms of passing the ball. They turn it over 12.2 times per contest and as a unit they commit 17.7 fouls every game.

On the defensive end, the Knights are forcing 14.6 turnovers per game while drawing 17.6 fouls. They are ranked 106th in D-1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 333 relinquished on the campaign. The Knights are allowing a shooting percentage of 40.6% (578 of 1,424) and they relinquish 35.2 boards per contest as a basketball team. They are giving up 33.1% on 3-pointers and they rank 49th in college hoops in points per game allowed (66.7).

The last time they took the court, the Oklahoma State Cowboys went home defeated by a final of 84-82 when they faced Oklahoma. The Cowboys earned 20 defensive boards and 9 offensive boards totaling 29 in this game. They coughed up the ball 9 times, while earning 5 steals for this game. Oklahoma had 15 personal fouls in this game which got the Cowboys to the charity stripe for a total of 11 tries. They were able to bury 7 of the free throw tries for a clip of 63.6%. In terms of shots from 3-point land, Oklahoma State buried 5 out of 17 tries (29.4%). When all was said and done, the Cowboys shot 35 out of 61 from the field which gave them a rate of 57.4%. The Cowboys allowed Oklahoma to bury 35 of their 69 tries from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 50.7% for this game. They finished 29.2% from three-point range by shooting 7 of 24 and finished the game at 7 of 12 at the free throw line (58.3%). With respect to cleaning the glass, Oklahoma State allowed Oklahoma to snag 33 overall (16 on the offensive glass).

Javon Small ended up being a factor for the Cowboys in the matchup. He converted 10 out of 16 in the game for a field goal percentage of 62.5%, and added 5 rebounds. He tallied 21 points in his 44 mins on the court and had 4 assists in the game.

Oklahoma State has a mark of 12-15 this season. The Cowboys have committed 15.6 personal fouls per contest and they connect on 68.5% from the charity stripe. They are dishing out assists 14.1 times per game (120th in college basketball) and they are turning it over 12.8 times per contest. Oklahoma State has accounted for 1,945 points on the season (72.0 per contest) and they grab 34.2 rebounds per game. When it comes to offense, the Cowboys are connecting on 44.8% from the floor, which ranks them 176th in college basketball.

The Cowboys on the defensive end are ranked 175th in college hoops in points allowed per contest with 71.6. They are able to force 11.6 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 45.7% from the field (312th in college basketball). The Oklahoma State defense surrenders 33.0% on shots from distance (169 of 512) and their opponents are making 72.7% of their foul shots. They give up 11.9 dimes and 33.2 total rebounds per game, which has them ranked 95th and 95th in college basketball.

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Oklahoma State

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