The nation’s longest winning streak is in serious danger. The Central Florida Knights have won 24 games in a row, but they are headed into their conference championship without their starting quarterback. McKenzie Milton suffered a serious knee injury early in UCF’s 38-10 win over arch-rival USF, and now they must face the Memphis Tigers without him. Memphis gave UCF its toughest test so far this season, only losing to the Knights by just one point in a game many believe the Tigers should have won.
The AAC Championship will take place on Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
NCAA Football Betting at BookMaker.eu
Memphis +4.5
UCF -4.5
Total Check Back Later
Odds Analysis
Unsurprisingly, UCF opened as a favorite against Memphis. What was surprising was how much the Knights were initially favored by. The oddsmakers originally made the Knights a touchdown favorite per the CFB betting odds, but that has since fallen. Action came in on Memphis pretty quickly, and the Tigers are now 4.5-point underdogs on the NCAAF betting line.
The total for the AAC Championship Game will be released on Monday afternoon.
Player to Watch
UCF’s hopes for its next two games will rest on the shoulders of Darriel Mack Jr. Mack has been the Knights’ primary backup this season, and he has received some experience. When Milton was banged up earlier in the year, he got the start against East Carolina and led the Knights to a 38-10 victory.
Mack is a freshman, so he is very raw, but he is athletically gifted. He is a fantastic runner, motoring for 120 yards and a score against the Pirates in his lone start, and he has carried the ball 40 times for 281 yards and two touchdowns in seven appearances.
However, he is not much of a passer at this point in his career, and head coach Josh Heupel will have to change up his scheme to allow Mack to run more. On the year, Mack has completed less than 50 percent of his passes, and he has averaged just over four yards per attempt. He was not very good against USF in relief, and he didn’t really show much against East Carolina.
Last Meeting
In the first meeting between these teams, UCF was very fortunate to escape with a victory. The Knights trailed for much of the game, and they were down 30-17 going into halftime. However, after the weather turned, Memphis’ offense stalled, and the Tigers failed to score a single point in the second half. That gave UCF the opportunity to come back, and to its credit, the school took full advantage.
The Knights relied on the big play to rally, just like they always have. They cut the lead to 30-24 after a Taj McGowan 71-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, and they took the lead following two big plays early in the fourth. From there, the defense held on for dear life, as Memphis moved into UCF territory in each of its next three drives, but it couldn’t get into field goal range. It was a devastating loss for Memphis considering how dominant it looked in the first half, and UCF couldn’t help but feel that it stole the game.
Live Betting Preview
Mack is the difference maker here. He has a lot of natural ability and skill, but he needs some more seasoning. He is being thrown into the fire here, and Memphis will eventually force him to beat them through the air. Give him two series and see how he looks through the air. If he appears shaky, go ahead and back Memphis. The Tigers should be a very popular moneyline pick this week though, so you may want to get out in front of more potential line movement too.
NCAA Football Odds: Memphis 34, UCF 27
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