BYU Cougars vs Baylor Bears Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/09/2024

Game Time: 9:00 pm ET, Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Venue:  Foster Pavilion & Playground, Warren, OH

Where to Watch:  ESPN+

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  BYU +3.5, Baylor -3.5; Over/Under:  155 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  BYU +3.5, Baylor -3.5; Over/Under:  155 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  BYU +3.5, Baylor -3.5; Over/Under:  155 points

BYU Cougars:  12-2 (0-1) (8th place, Big 12)

Baylor Bears:  12-2 (1-0) (4th place, Big 12)

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BYU Cougars:  4-1  last 5

Baylor Bears:  3-2  last 5

BYU is entering this game with a 12-2 record overall, a 0-1 record in conference games, and they are 0-1 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Cincinnati Bearcats in their last game. Trevin Knell led the team in points per game in that game with 27 while Dallin Hall was next on the team with 10. Aly Khalifa led the team in assists with 6 in that game while Noah Waterman led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 32.8% from the field, 28.3% from 3-point range, and 50% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 88.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 62.2 PPG against them. BYU has an ATS record of 11-3 this season and their O/U record is 5-9.

Baylor is entering this game with a 12-2 record overall, a 1-0 conference record, and they are 8-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in their last game. RayJ Dennis led the team in points in that game with 18 while Langston Love was next on the team with 17. RayJ Dennis led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Yves Missi led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 42.5% from the field, 13.3% from 3-point range, and 78.6% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 88.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 69.4 PPG against them. Baylor has an ATS record of 9-3-1 this season and their O/U record is 8-5.

The current betting odds have Baylor listed as a 3.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Baylor has looked really good in their games this season with their 12-2 record overall which also has them ranked inside the top 25 teams in the country. They have won their only conference game this season and they have also looked really good on their home court with their 8-0 home record. Meanwhile, BYU has also looked really good in their games this season with their 12-2 record overall which also has them ranked inside the top 25, but they just took a bad loss on their home court against Cincinnati and now this team will really be tested in their new conference with the conference schedule starting. They are already 0-1 in their conference games this season with that bad loss at home to Cincinnati but they have also lost their only road game this year against Utah. Now they will be looking to bounce back from that loss but this is a very tough environment to play in since Baylor has actually proved themselves as one of the best teams in the nation year after year. This is going to be a big test for BYU in this new conference and Baylor will be sure to give them a very warm welcome here by adding another ranked win to their resume. The best way to place a bet here is on Baylor to cover the spread in this game. 

BYU Baylor Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Tuesday, January 9, 2024 (9:00 pm ET start time) is Baylor 77 BYU 66.

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BYU Cougars: 86-127 ATS as an underdog. 3-14 ATS as a neutral court underdog of 3 points or less or pick. 9-5 UNDER in all games. 11-4 UNDER after 2 straight games where they made 10 or more 3 point shots. 

Baylor Bears: 10-3 ATS in all games. 9-2 ATS as a favorite. 8-2 ATS after 1 or more consecutive wins. 10-3 UNDER after a win by 6 points or less. 44-24 UNDER after a game committing 8 or less turnovers. 

BYU Cougars:  M. Adams Jr. (F) Out indefinitely - Eligibility.

Baylor Bears:  Y. Ndjonga (F) out for season - Knee.

“The game really slowed down on their end. It became a little bit of isolation feel. Very slow kind of high ball screen pace game. They made some plays, and they were really effective in getting to the free throw line.” - Mark Pope after his team’s win against Cincinnati in their last game on Saturday.

“That’s a Big 12 game, that’s what they’re like. For all our new guys, I told them welcome to the Big 12 because that’s what you get each and every night.” - Scott Drew after his team’s win against OK State in their last game on Saturday.

D. Hall 

S. Johnson 

A. Khalifa 

T. Knell 

N. Waterman

J. Bridges 

R. Dennis 

Y. Missi 

J. Nunn 

J. Walter

PPG: J. Robinson (15.2)

APG: S. Johnson (4.6)

Reb/G: N. Waterman (6.7)

PPG: J. Walter (15.3)

APG: R. Dennis (6.2)

Reb/G: Y. Missi (6.7)

Coaches:

BYU Cougars: Mark Pope (5th season)

Baylor Bears: Scott Drew (21st season)