Pinnacle    -105     BET365  -105   Sportsinteraction  -105  888port  -105

Posted at 8:00 AM ET. Odds are subject to change

UCF -105 ML over Houston

Acrisure Bounce House – Orlando, FL

8:00 PM ET. Initially, the Golden Knights opened as the favorite here, but very quickly the efficient market stepped in on the formerly ranked Cougars, who sit at 7–2 on the year. UCF, meanwhile, is 4–4 and fresh off a 30–3 beatdown at Baylor. Houston also lost last week — as a 12.5-point home favorite to West Virginia — but the market is more forgiving of the Cougars because they were ranked not long ago and still carry the “better record” perception.

On paper, UCF doesn’t inspire confidence. Their best win is probably their 45–13 rout of West Virginia in mid-October who just beat the Cougars. But outside of that, they’ve fallen short whenever stepping up — losing to a once ranked Cincinnati, Kansas, and at Kansas State. The rest of the résumé is Jacksonville State, FCS North Carolina A&T, and UNC — a team that has been a disaster under Bill Belichick’s stewardship this year.

The point here is simple: the market wants to buy Houston in a bounce-back spot. It’s the easy narrative. Better record, “angry off a loss,” and catching a short number. But the line says otherwise. And there is just reason. If anyone needs to know what’s going to happen inside the Bounce House on Friday night, here’s the primer: UCF is breaking out their astronaut uniforms — the black-on-black space set that turns that stadium into a launch pad both figuratively and literally. It’s one of the most electric home environments in the country. Students packed in, all in black, lights down, music pounding — it becomes a nightmare venue for visitors.

There’s something else, too: Houston has been undefeated on the road, which only sweetens their public appeal. The confluence of these variables tells us Houston is walking right into a trap - the line told the story from the jump. Central Florida for the W.

Take advantage of BET365's early MLB payout offer! 

For straight bets, if the team you back to win goes 5 runs ahead at any stage during the game, BET365 will pay out your bet in full regardless of whether the opposition comes back to win the game.

For parlays and Same Game Parlays, if a team you have backed goes 5 runs ahead, this selection will be marked as won within My Bets, with the remaining selections left to run.

Here is a wager we were paid out early on that would eventually lose. 

v