Auburn basketball game tonight: Tigers vs. UCF Line, Predictions, Odds
Auburn basketball came away from the Battle 4 Atlantis in The Bahamas Thanksgiving week with their first loss, but they quickly followed those up with their best wins of the season.
UConn, led by big man Adama Sanogo and guard RJ Cole, proved to be too much for the Tigers in what was a double-overtime instant classic during the Tigers’ first game of the tournament.
That game was the breakout two-way performance K.D. Johnson needed to solidify his starting spot and likely push Wendell Green Jr. (or eventually Zep Jasper) into the sixth man facilitation role himself. He fearlessly drove the length of the court in mere seconds to tie things up in the first overtime, and he finished with an impressive 27 points and five steals.
The following two days, they handled two 2021 Sweet 16 entries in Loyola-Chicago and Syracuse by a combined 30 points to prove that the UConn loss was a lesson and not a harbinger of things to come for Bruce Pearl’s men.
Where do they stand now after some time off and yet another shirtless appearance for several Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium for the Iron Bowl?
Let’s take a look at the Auburn basketball betting lines, odds, and TV information while laying a few predictions on the line (all lines courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook):
UCF vs. Auburn basketball Odds, Spread and Total
Spread:
Auburn: -10 (-105)
UCF: +10 (-115)
Moneyline:
Auburn: -540
UCF: +400
Total:
142.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
UCF vs. Auburn Pick and Prediction
When Auburn basketball flew south to Tampa to take on USF, Bruce Pearl warned that the Bulls were going to test them in a way no other team had up until that point in 2021-22. He even wanted them to.
He was spot on.
Against USF’s ‘War On I-4’ rivals UCF, Pearl is predicting a scrap with a team that is deeper than either the Ramblers or Orange last week in The Bahamas, and may just be the second best opponent they’ve faced so far:
"“This will be the second-best team we have played against behind probably UConn and it is the best defensive team we have played against so far,” Pearl said. “They average 20 points per game from turning people over. Johnny (Coach Johnny Dawkins) does a good job of pressing, taking time off the clock, so he doesn’t have to guard your stuff very long.”"
If Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins could do what Pearl believes his team is capable of, it reads as though the under is going to the play here, with sound clock management and stifling defense from the opponent representing the top two reasons why.