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The Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team is set to encounter UCF in this game. The No. 23 Sooners, with a record of 16-5 overall and 4-4 in the Big 12, will face the Knights (12-8, 3-5) in this conference matchup. Both teams have technically not had "bad" seasons, but the Sooners are further up the standings compared to the Knights--something that a potential win from UCF could help remedy.
After starting the season a blistering 13-1, the Sooners have struggled in their recent conference performances, leading to a drop in their ranking to No. 23. Despite initiating their Big 12 schedule with a victory against Iowa State, the team has faced challenges, suffering four losses in their last seven games.
Notably, they were defeated at home by Texas and Texas Tech, despite being favorites. UCF, on the other hand, will likely look to their defense to help carry them to a win here (more on this later).
Oklahoma vs UCF Prediction
The Sooners and the Knights are likely more evenly-matched than what some fans realize. They both currently occupy the top half of the Big 12 on the backs of their stellar offensive and defensive schemes.
Oklahoma has had an efficient offensive stride all year, bannered by junior guard Javian McCollum's 14.6 PPG on 43.3% FG shooting. The team on its own is the sixth-best scoring team in the Big 12, averaging 78.3 PPG on just under 48% FG. But as previously mentioned, they're going up against UCF's elite-level defense.
The Knights force opponents to shoot just above 40 percent from the field, which is suffocating defense, no matter how one looks at it. Aside from that, they also force around 15 turnovers and get the most steals (7.7 steals/game), a mark that leads the entire conference. So this game could very well be just UCF mucking up Oklahoma's offense throughout the entire game--barring offensive explosions from the Sooners' individual bucket-getters.
Oklahoma vs UCF Betting Odds
Oklahoma vs UCF Head-to-Head
With numbers going back to the 1949-1950 season (via Sports-Reference), Oklahoma leads UCF in their head-to-head matchup, 2-0. As one could see, there's not a lot of history here compared to other head-to-head matchups.
Where to watch Oklahoma vs UCF?
Venue: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, FL
Date and time: Feb. 3, 2024 — 4:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN+
Oklahoma vs UCF Injuries
Oklahoma
No injuries
UCF
G Shemarri Allen, ankle (QUESTIONABLE)
F CJ Walker, undisclosed (QUESTIONABLE)
G Mikey Williams, eligibility (OUT FOR SEASON)
