The Sam Houston State Bearkats will visit the UCF Knights in non-conference action on Saturday, September 7, 2024. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Knights as 22-point favorites going into this matchup, while the total for the game stands at 57.5. Here, we preview Sam Houston State vs UCF and give you our college football betting picks for that game.
Sam Houston Seeks Second Win In a Row
In an all-Texas matchup last week, the Sam Houston State Bearkats won on the road against the Rice Owls. Sam Houston’s 34-14 victory saw the Bearkats outgain their opponent 407-274, with the visitors winning the turnover battle 2-0 as well. This week, Sam Houston will look for a second straight win on the road as an underdog as they look to turn some heads early in the year.
Another fast start would be huge for the Bearkats’ chances of covering the spread and potentially winning this contest. Sam Houston took a 17-0 lead in the first quarter against Rice, a start that included a pick six from the Bearkats defense. Against an even better opponent this week, the Bearkats will need to come out with plenty of energy to grab the lead on the scoreboard in this Sam Houston State vs UCF contest.
UCF Makes Debut Against FBS Opponent In 2024
UCF faced an FCS opponent to start their season, as they beat the New Hampshire Wildcats 57-3 at home. That game was more or less over before it started, as UCF put up 639 yards of total offense against their overmatched opponent. Here, UCF plays their first FBS opponent of the year and will look for a similar performance despite stepping up in level of competition.
KJ Jefferson was fine in his first game as the quarterback of the Knights after transferring from Arkansas in the offseason. He only completed half of his pass attempts, but averaged over 10 yards per pass attempt and had two touchdowns. He will need to be more careful with the ball, though, after throwing an interception against UNH.
Sam Houston State vs UCF Best Bet
It is hard to see Sam Houston staying within a couple of scores in this non-conference game against UCF. We are laying the points with the Knights at home, as Jefferson should continue to play better as he gets his feet wet with his new team.
