Do you like points? Because if you do, the Boca Raton Bowl is for you! The UCF Knights will meet the BYU Cougars in a college football betting matchup between two of the highest-scoring teams in the county.
We’ll get a sky-high total of 75 when potential first-round NFL draft pick Zach Wilson leads the 10-1 Cougars against Dillon Gabriel and the high-octane Knights.
We break down the college football odds with our best free picks and predictions for UCF vs. BYU at the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday, December 22, with kickoff at 7 p.m. ET.
Boca Raton Bowl: UCF Knights vs BYU Cougars Betting Preview
Weather
The only thing that will be making it rain in Boca Raton will be the offenses. The forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies, temperatures in the high-60s, and a 10 mph wind gusting towards the southern end zone at FAU Stadium. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.
Key Injuries
UCF: Otis Anderson RB (Questionable).
BYU: Gunner Romney WR (Probable), Keenan Ellis DB (Questionable), Keanu Hill WR (Questionable).
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
BYU has not been a great bet in bowl games recently, going 1-5 ATS in its last six bowl games. Find more NCAA betting trends for UCF vs. BYU.
Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
BYU was cruising this season at 9-0 SU before a last-second schedule change so it could match up with fellow undefeated Group of Five team Coastal Carolina. The Cougars fell 22-17 in a game that came down to the very last play. BYU did follow that up, however, with a solid 28-14 win against a very good San Diego State defense.
The Cougars are led by quarterback Zach Wilson. The junior signal-caller is flying up NFL draft boards thanks to a big arm that he has shown off this season, as Wilson has completed 73.1 percent of his passes for 3,274 yards with 30 touchdowns, compared to just three interceptions.
But Wilson is going up against a quarterback who may be close to his equal in UCF’s Dillon Gabriel. The Knights quarterback has blown the doors off of 2020 and you’ll also hear his name popping up in NFL draft circles next year. Gabriel has completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 3,353 yards with 33 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
With quarterback play being essentially a wash, a quick look at the defensive stats would tell you BYU has a big edge. But hold up: while we’re not going to call the Knights’ defense good, those numbers look a little uglier due to playing in the offensive-minded American Athletic Conference. On the other hand, the best offense BYU has faced has arguably been Coastal Carolina or Houston.
Win or lose, UCF tends to step up in big and bowl games. This one should be close, so take the points with the Knights.
PREDICTION: UCF +6.5 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
Who are we kidding though? The big play in this game is the total and a number as high as 75 might scare some away, but fear not! These two offenses can topple this number.
As mentioned, these are two of the best offenses in the country. Wilson leads a BYU offense that ranks eighth in total yards at 512.2 and sixth in scoring at 43.0 points per contest—and it's going up against UCF defense that allows more than 31 points per game.
Meanwhile, Gabriel leads the No. 2-ranked offense, coming in at 585.6 yards per game and 44.3 points per game. Even though the Cougars’ defense allows just 14.6 ppg, they haven’t faced an offense anywhere near as potent as the Knights.
And a total this high isn’t out of the norm for UCF: the Knights have had seven games with a total of 70 or higher and gone 4-3 O/U in those games.
Additionally, the Over is 4-0 in UCF’s last four non-conference games and 4-1 in BYU’s last five bowl games. Buckle up and get ready for some fireworks in this one.
PREDICTION: Over 75 (-110)
Boca Raton Bowl: UCF vs BYU Betting Card
- UCF +6.5 (-110)
- Over 75 (-110)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s Boca Raton Bowl: UCF vs. BYU picks, you could win $26.45 on a $10 bet?
Use our NCAA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where Can I Bet on College Football Bowl Games?
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