There was never a question whether or not the UCF Knights were going to the playoffs; they weren’t, even if they were the only undefeated FBS team in the nation.
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But, they’ll get a chance to prove they came to win when they face the 7th ranked Auburn Tigers, the 2nd ranked team in the country, heading into Championship Weekend.
Peach Bowl 2017 UCF Golden Knights vs Auburn Tigers
When: January 01, 2018, 12:30 PM ET
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Spread: Auburn -9.5
Total: 67
Moneyline: Auburn -360 vs UCF +300
Betting on UCF Golden Knights
The Golden Knights didn’t play any of the big Power 5 teams this season and that was their biggest knock in some people’s minds.
While this was true, it’s just as true that they beat a ranked Memphis team twice and the 23rd-ranked USF.
But, the Golden Knights also took a hit when head coach Scott Frost announced he was going back home to Nebraska to lead the Cornhuskers.
Frost’s contribution to the Knight’s program cannot be understated. He took a team that closed out 2015 without a win to one that’s now undefeated and ranked 12th in the nation in just two years.
His greatest success story was with Knight’s quarterback McKenzie Milton. The signal-caller fit perfectly with the offense and completed 69.2 percent of his passes with 35 touchdowns and only nine interceptions while adding almost 500 yards on the ground.
Tre’Quan Smith, Milton’s target of choice, averages 20 yards per reception and racked up 120-plus receiving yards in three of the past five games.
Though Frost was hired by Nebraska, he did commit to coach the team in the bowl game, but since UCF hired Josh Heupel as head coach, it’s really not clear who will call the shots against the Tigers.
Even if the Golden Knights find themselves without a head coach, they head into this game trying to prove they belong in the 2017 Peach Bowl and they should also have been included in the CFP.
UCF has the best offense in the nation this year, one that averages 49.4 points per game. And, it’ll certainly test the Tigers defense.
On the other side of the ball, though the Knights’ defense wasn’t as good as its offense, it did hold its own and only gave up 25.2 points per game, which was good for 53rd in the nation.
The defense will be pushed by Auburn’s offense, but they should be able to hold tight and allow the offense to do its thing.
Betting on Auburn Tigers
The Tigers were on the verge of making it into the final four, but defeating two #1 ranked teams in three weeks seemed to have taken its toll and the Tigers weren’t able to keep up with the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship game.
Nevertheless, Auburn is UCF’s toughest opponent. The Tigers are among the best 25 teams in the nation both in scoring offense and defense and hold wins over Georgia and Alabama.
The Tigers’ defense is great at stopping the pass, ranking 13th in the nation in passing yards allowed and 14th in sacks.
Also, the offense is led by Jarrett Stidham who is great. You should also keep an eye on running back Kerryon Johnson who despite being hurt made it through the SEC championship game.
Though the Tigers are out of the playoff picture, they can close out the season on a good note by playing in the venue their championship hopes went up in smoke.
Auburn’s best weapon is their defense; this season, they’ve held opponents to 17.3 points per game. And, their offense is also excellent averaging 34.4 points per contents which is 28th in the nation.
After a few weeks off, the Tigers should have recovered enough to prove they should have been in the playoffs.
Plenty of people expect the Tigers to beat the Golden Knights, but they still need to be careful to give UCF the respect they deserve lest they lose the last game of the season.
Golden Knights vs Tigers Betting Trends
- UCF is 0-3 SU in its last 3 games against Auburn.
- Auburn is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games after a loss.
- The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Auburn’s last 11 games in bowl season.
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Auburn's last 10 games.
- UCF is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games as an underdog.
- UCF has played an SEC school 8 times since 2005 – the UNDER is 7-0-1 in those games.
Expert Pick: The Tigers are the 9.5-point favorites to win the game. The Golden Knights edged out the Tigers against the spread, but since UCF was knocked off balance from losing Frost as a head coach, they will lose the game. I’m taking the Tigers to cover at