Central Florida Knights vs Houston Cougars Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/04/2026

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Venue:  Fertitta Center, Houston, TX

Where to Watch:  Fox Sports 1

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  UCF +14.5, Houston -14.5; Over/Under:  149.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  UCF +14.5, Houston -14.5; Over/Under:  149.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  UCF +14.5, Houston -14.5; Over/Under:  149.5 points

Central Florida Knights:  17-4 (6-3) (5th place, Big 12)

Houston Cougars:  19-2 (7-1) (2nd place, Big 12)

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Central Florida Knights:  3-2  last 5

Houston Cougars:  4-1  last 5

UCF is entering this game with a 17-4 record overall, a 6-3 record in conference games, and they are 3-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in their last game. Themus Fulks led the team in points in that game with 21 while Jordan Burks was next on the team with 17. Themus Fulks led the team in assists with 7 in that game while Jamichael Stillwell and John Bol each led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 49.2% from the field, 46.2% from 3-point range, and 81.8% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 84.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 77.1 PPG against them. UCF has an ATS record of 11-10 this season and their O/U record is 8-13.

Houston is entering this game with a 19-2 record overall, a 7-1 conference record, and they are 11-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Cincinnati Bearcats in their last game. Milos Uzan led the team in points in that game with 16 while Emanuel Sharp, Chris Cenac, and Isiah Harwell each were next on the team with 13. Kingston Flemings led the team in assists with 6 in that game while Joseph Tugler led the team in rebounds with 6. They were 45.6% from the field, 34.6% from 3-point range, and 83.3% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 78.9 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 61.7 PPG against them. Houston has an ATS record of 12-9 this season and their O/U record is 10-11.

The current betting odds have UCF listed as a 14.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. UCF has looked good in their games this season with their 17-4 record overall and their 6-3 conference record which has them in the top half of the Big 12. They have been a decent road team too with their 3-2 road record this year. Meanwhile, Houston has looked great in their games this season with their 19-2 record overall and their 7-1 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They have looked great on their home court too with their 11-0 home record this season. Houston has been one of the best teams in the nation all season, coming off a season which they almost won the National Championship, and they are off a double digit win over Cincinnati in their last one. They have been rolling in their games lately with only 1 loss in the Big 12 which was on the road against Texas Tech. They have won 2 games in a row now since that loss and they are off a big win over Cincinnati, but they did struggle a bit on the road against TCU and they aren't playing a bottom feeder in the conference here. Houston has been crushing opponents at home all season, but UCF is not a bad team as they do have a lot of talent themselves and they will be looking for a statement win on the road. They have some momentum on their side now with 3 wins in a row and they are going to carry that into this one as they are off a big win over Texas Tech in their last one. UCF has shown that they have the talent to compete with the teams at the top of the Big 12 and even if they can't find a way to win this one on the road, they will find a way to keep it respectable. The best way to place a bet here is on UCF to cover the spread in this game. 

Central Florida Houston Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Wednesday, February 4, 2026 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Houston 75 UCF 66.

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Central Florida Knights: 8-4 ATS off a home win against a conference rival. 9-4 ATS after playing a home game. 8-3 ATS versus good defensive teams - allowing 64 points/game or less. 8-3 UNDER off an upset win over a conference rival as an underdog. 

Houston Cougars: 1-4 ATS versus good 3 point shooting teams - making 37% of their attempts or more. 1-3 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 80%). 30-15 UNDER in all home games. 26-18 UNDER off a win against a conference rival. 26-17 UNDER versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 4+ per game.

Central Florida Knights:  J. Foumena (C) Questionable - Knee. T. Jones (G) Questionable - Undisclosed.

Houston Cougars:  C. McCarty (F) Questionable - Wrist. K. Jefferson (G) Out - Knee. B. Jackson (G) Out - Redshirt.

"I thought our guys played a full 40-minute basketball game. We’ve challenged them all season about playing 40 minutes — not 35, not 30 — and tonight it took all 40 to be successful. I give our guys a lot of credit for believing and continuing to fight. Texas Tech challenges you on both ends of the floor, and I thought our guys responded every time they had to.” - Johnny Dawkins Jr after his team’s win against Texas Tech in their last game. 

“On a night that Kingston struggled with fatigue — I don't know if I’ve ever had a team that needs a day off more than this team. It started really after the Arizona State game. It’s been a while since we’ve been able to rest. It’s been a long seven or eight days.” - Kelvin Sampson after his team’s win against Cincinnati in their last game. 

J. Bol 

J. Burks 

T. Fulks 

R. Kugel 

J. Stillwell

C. Cenac 

K. Flemings 

E. Sharp 

J. Tugler 

M. Uzan

PPG: Riley Kugel (14.8)

APG: Themus Fulks (7.2)

Reb/G: Jamichael Stillwell (8.1)

PPG: Kingston Flemings (17)

APG: Kingston Flemings (5.4)

Reb/G: Chris Cenac Jr. (7.7)

Coaches:

Central Florida Knights: Johnny Dawkins Jr (10th season)

Houston Cougars: Kelvin Sampson (12th season)