This week's picks

Baylor vs. UCF Prediction and Pick, Week 9 2026

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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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Picks two teams at random. Any FBS team can come up.

How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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Baylor at UCF

Week 9, Fri, Oct 30, 7:30 PM ET, FBC Mortgage Stadium.

The numbers say: Baylor, 54% to win.

The game

KickoffFri, Oct 30, 7:30 PM ET
TVESPN
WhereFBC Mortgage Stadium
Weather76°, cloudy, wind 9 mph
LineBaylor −1.5, total 49.5
Line movementOpened UCF −1.5; moved 3 points toward Baylor.
SeriesBaylor leads 2–1
Last meetingBaylor 30–3 in 2025

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Baylor by 1.554%47
PRIMEUCF by 2.657%
EloBaylor62%
The lineBaylor −1.5, opened UCF −1.549.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Fri, Oct 30, 3:56 PM ET.

Who wins, Baylor or UCF?

The numbers say: Baylor. 53% chance to win

Which matchups decide Baylor vs. UCF?

The ratings split and average out to about 50-50, with Baylor ahead by a hair. Baylor's best matchup is its run-stopping front, 49th in line yards allowed per carry, against UCF's offensive line at 119th. UCF's way back in is its run-stopping front, 13th in line yards allowed per carry, against Baylor's offensive line at 112th. We left out the edges built on Taevion Swint, who's out.

Baylor with the ball

UCF with the ball

Who's out for Baylor and UCF?

Baylor

UCF

How Baylor and UCF compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Baylor and UCF are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Baylor's and UCF's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Baylor and UCF?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Baylor 4.0 points better (43rd to 56th). PRIME has UCF by 0.1 instead. Elo, which only sees results, also has Baylor ahead (45th to 72nd).

BaylorUCF
SP+ overall8.5 (43rd)4.5 (56th)
SP+ offense28.0 (59th)27.2 (63rd)
SP+ defense20.0 (29th)22.8 (43rd)
SP+ special teams0.4 (11th)0.1 (54th)
PRIME net6.2 (41st)6.3 (39th)
PRIME offense-1.14 (75th)2.20 (45th)
PRIME defense6.48 (22nd)4.41 (33rd)
PRIME SOS-0.7 (51st)3.0 (16th)
PRIME SOR0.4 (54th)1.0 (40th)
Elo1614 (45th)1477 (72nd)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Baylor's offense ranks 67th in adjusted EPA per play, and the UCF defense it faces ranks 31st in EPA per play allowed. UCF's offense ranks 63rd against Baylor's 18th-ranked defense. Both defenses have the edge on the offenses they face. Adjust for opponents and Baylor's offense climbs from 88th to 67th in EPA per play: it has done its work against good defenses.

BaylorUCF
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.11 (67th)+0.11 (63rd)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.20 (63rd)+0.22 (46th)
EPA per rush (adjusted)+0.03 (101st)+0.03 (104th)
Success rate (adjusted)38.9% (105th)43.0% (52nd)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)43.0% (125th)46.1% (78th)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)30.0% (78th)32.1% (35th)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.94 (51st)0.91 (121st)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.81 (112th)2.78 (119th)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.08 (86th)1.15 (61st)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)+0.03 (18th)+0.05 (31st)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.11 (20th)+0.17 (56th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)−0.00 (20th)+0.01 (25th)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)39.2% (32nd)39.8% (39th)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.93 (48th)0.89 (10th)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)2.89 (49th)2.72 (13th)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)0.96 (20th)1.01 (39th)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Baylor or UCF?

Baylor is better throwing (82nd in EPA per pass) than running (111th). UCF's pass defense ranks 66th. UCF is about as good throwing (87th in EPA per pass) as running (101st).

BaylorUCF
EPA per play+0.09 (88th)+0.10 (83rd)
EPA per pass+0.18 (82nd)+0.17 (87th)
EPA per rush+0.01 (111th)+0.03 (101st)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.42 (84th)+0.40 (88th)
EPA per play allowed−0.06 (9th)+0.03 (36th)
EPA per pass allowed+0.01 (15th)+0.16 (66th)
EPA per rush allowed−0.12 (10th)−0.06 (21st)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+0.28 (35th)+0.31 (42nd)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Baylor or UCF?

Baylor outscores FBS opponents by 13.0 a game, and UCF by 9.7. Baylor's offense ranks 66th in scoring, and the UCF defense it faces ranks 58th in points allowed. UCF's offense ranks 45th against Baylor's 19th-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge.

BaylorUCF
Points scored29.1 (66th)32.7 (45th)
Points allowed16.1 (19th)23.0 (58th)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Baylor has no clear edge here. Its best is 3rd down conversion rate, 73rd, against a defense ranked 69th in 3rd down conversions allowed. UCF has no clear edge here. Its best is 3rd down conversion rate, 52nd, against a defense ranked 45th in 3rd down conversions allowed.

BaylorUCF
Pass yards / game275.1 (26th)209.4 (91st)
Rush yards / game164.7 (71st)164.9 (70th)
Yards per play5.45 (119th)6.37 (52nd)
Yards per carry4.65 (105th)5.27 (65th)
Yards per attempt6.36 (113th)8.01 (52nd)
Completion %52.5% (119th)76.5% (7th)
Success rate37.4% (122nd)45.5% (50th)
Explosive play rate11.2% (97th)12.7% (56th)
3rd down conversion39.7% (73rd)43.2% (52nd)
Sack rate (taken)4.4% (43rd)4.7% (47th)
INT rate (thrown)2.3% (69th)2.2% (62nd)
SUPLEX46.3% (125th)57.6% (57th)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Baylor's defense is best placed to stop the run: it ranks 23rd in yards per carry allowed, and UCF's offense is middle of the pack in yards per carry (65th). UCF's defense is best placed to stop the run: it ranks 10th in yards per carry allowed, and Baylor's offense is bottom-40 in yards per carry (105th). That's a mismatch.

BaylorUCF
Pass yards allowed / game238.0 (107th)241.6 (109th)
Rush yards allowed / game127.4 (36th)129.3 (38th)
Yards per play allowed5.26 (32nd)5.11 (22nd)
Yards per carry allowed4.09 (23rd)3.83 (10th)
Yards per attempt allowed6.94 (62nd)6.50 (44th)
Success rate allowed36.6% (27th)38.4% (47th)
Explosive plays allowed10.1% (42nd)9.3% (20th)
3rd downs allowed35.3% (45th)38.6% (69th)
Sack rate (generated)10.4% (7th)4.4% (108th)
INT rate (generated)3.3% (34th)2.7% (61st)
SUPLEX allowed48.2% (29th)50.0% (41st)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

Baylor has the better number in 8 of 12. The biggest gap is front-seven havoc, where Baylor ranks 11th and UCF 98th.

BaylorUCF
Big Uglies: offensive line48.3 (86th)45.0 (110th)
Big Uglies: defensive front60.2 (12th)52.0 (54th)
Line yards per carry2.74 (113th)2.73 (116th)
Line yards allowed per carry2.73 (44th)2.51 (9th)
Second-level yards per carry0.77 (132nd)1.03 (88th)
Open-field yards per carry1.06 (85th)1.26 (62nd)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)18.1% (77th)19.0% (91st)
Stuff rate (defense)21.6% (33rd)19.2% (67th)
Power success (short yardage)72.7% (66th)61.3% (126th)
Power success allowed58.3% (11th)66.7% (39th)
Front-seven havoc allowed9.4% (79th)9.3% (77th)
Front-seven havoc12.9% (11th)8.4% (98th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

UCF is +0.7 in turnover margin a game and Baylor is +0.3. At about five points a turnover, that's roughly a 2-point edge for UCF. Turnover margin rarely holds from one month to the next, so don't count on it. Fumble recoveries are mostly luck, and UCF's takeaways lean on them (0.7 of 1.7 a game).

BaylorUCF
Interceptions thrown / game1.00 (105th)0.57 (40th)
Fumbles lost / game0.57 (74th)0.43 (53rd)
Giveaways / game1.57 (107th)1.00 (36th)
Interceptions / game1.14 (14th)1.00 (22nd)
Fumbles recovered / game0.71 (24th)0.71 (24th)
Takeaways / game1.86 (11th)1.71 (16th)
Turnover margin / game+0.3 (50th)+0.7 (17th)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

Baylor has the more talented roster (43rd in the 247Sports talent composite; UCF is 66th). Baylor also plays further above its talent: +4.7 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to UCF's +3.9.

BaylorUCF
Talent composite723.3 (43rd)672.1 (66th)
Blue-chip ratio22.0% (36th)21.3% (38th)
Players on roster111 (67th)108 (87th)
Rated by 247Sports82 (52nd)61 (118th)
5-star players1 (24th)0 (37th)
4-star players17 (38th)13 (46th)
3-star players63 (61st)47 (110th)
Below 3-star1 (86th)1 (86th)
2026 transfers in30 (31st)32 (24th)
Transfer share36.6% (40th)52.5% (17th)
SP+ vs. talent+4.7 (40th)+3.9 (46th)
Returning production60.2% (40th)24.8% (92nd)
Returning passing production77.7% (55th)3.9% (97th)
Returning rushing production67.7% (51st)-16.8% (127th)
Returning receiving production46.9% (53rd)58.0% (31st)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)57 (57th)66 (66th)
Recruiting rank, last four classes48.8 (47th)57.5 (58th)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Which roster costs more?

Baylor's roster is valued at $19.8M, UCF's at $18.7M. Baylor also plays better per dollar: +3.5 points of SP+ above what its payroll predicts, to +0.8 for UCF.

BaylorUCF
Roster value$19.8M (56th)$18.7M (63rd)
Roster cost per win$5.0M (27th)$4.7M (24th)
Projected wins per $1M0.36 (14th)0.34 (22nd)
SP+ vs. payroll+3.5 (20th)+0.8 (36th)

NIL roster value from The NIL Standard (power-conference teams plus Boise State and Oregon State). Ranks are out of 70 teams with a valuation.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Baylor is +0.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is luck (−1.0). UCF is +0.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is schedule (−0.7). Baylor's record is 1.0 wins worse than its play on bad luck, so it's better than the record says.

BaylorUCF
RECEIPTS (total)+0.5 (57th)+0.5 (57th)
Schedule RECEIPTS+0.3 (78th)-0.7 (121st)
Roster RECEIPTS+0.6 (34th)+0.0 (66th)
Coach RECEIPTS+0.7 (39th)+0.5 (50th)
Luck RECEIPTS-1.0 (120th)+0.7 (29th)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Baylor at UCF: questions people ask

Baylor vs. UCF prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Baylor, 53% chance to win. SP+ and Elo agree; PRIME has UCF. Baylor's best matchup is its run-stopping front, 49th in line yards allowed per carry, against UCF's offensive line at 119th.

Where can I watch Baylor vs. UCF, and what time is it?

Fri, Oct 30, 7:30 PM ET at FBC Mortgage Stadium. It's on ESPN.

What's the projected score of Baylor vs. UCF?

SP+ projects Baylor 24–23. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Baylor at UCF?

DraftKings has Baylor −1.5, total 49.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Baylor vs. UCF series history?

Baylor leads 2–1. Last meeting: Baylor won 30–3 in 2025.

Who are the players to watch in Baylor vs. UCF?

Baylor: D.J. Lagway (1,362 passing yards), Dawson Pendergrass (332 rushing yards) and Gavin Freeman (694 receiving yards). UCF: Keyone Jenkins (1,123 passing yards), Duke Watson (532 rushing yards) and Joshua Derry (366 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Baylor at UCF?

Baylor's is D.J. Lagway (1,362 passing yards this season); UCF's is Keyone Jenkins (1,123 passing yards this season).

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Baylor and UCF: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.