Houston Cougars vs BYU Cougars Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/23/2024

Game Time: 9:00 pm ET, Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Venue:  J. Willard Marriott Center (MC), Provo, UT 

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Houston -3.5, BYU +3.5; Over/Under:  134.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Houston -3.5, BYU +3.5; Over/Under:  134.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Houston -3.5, BYU +3.5; Over/Under:  134.5 points

Houston Cougars:  16-2 (3-2) (3rd place, Big 12)

BYU Cougars:  14-4 (2-3) (8th place, Big 12)

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Houston Cougars:  3-2  last 5

BYU Cougars:  2-3  last 5

Houston is entering this game with a 16-2 record overall, a 3-2 record in conference games, and they are 1-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Central Florida Knights in their last game. LJ Cryer led the team in points per game in that game with 16 while Ja'Vier Francis and Jamal Shead each were next on the team with 10. Jamal Shead led the team in assists with 5 in that game while Jamal Shead and Mylik Wilson each led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 34.5% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range, and 68.8% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 73.9 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 51 PPG against them. Houston has an ATS record of 9-8-1 this season and their O/U record is 5-13.

BYU is entering this game with a 14-4 record overall, a 2-3 conference record, and they are 10-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in their last game. Aly Khalifa led the team in points in that game with 21 while Richie Saunders was next on the team with 16. Dallin Hall led the team in assists with 6 in that game while Fousseyni Traore led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 44.3% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range, and 60% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 85.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 64.8 PPG against them. BYU has an ATS record of 12-6 this season and their O/U record is 7-11.

The current betting odds have Houston listed as a 3.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Houston has looked really good in their games this season with their 16-2 record overall which has them ranked as one of the best teams in the country. They are in their 1st season of being in the Big 12 Conference and have struggled a little more with both of their losses this season coming in the Big 12, but they are also 3-2 in their conference games so they haven't been that bad. They are also 1-2 in their road games this year as they have struggled more in their road games but both of their road losses were against good conference opponents and by very close scores. Meanwhile, BYU has also looked good in their games this season with their 14-4 record overall which has them ranked inside the top 25 teams in the country. They have looked great in their home games this year with their 10-1 home record, but they are also in their 1st season being in the Big 12 and they have struggled more in this new conference. They are only 2-3 in their conference games this season and their only home loss this year was against a conference opponent too. They just took another tough loss on the road against Texas Tech in their last game but BYU is really starting to slip now after a hot start as their schedule gets tougher in conference play. Houston has proven themselves as one of the best teams in the country as they are consistent every year and they are looking to make a statement in this 1st year of being in the Big 12. The best way to place a bet here is on Houston to cover the spread in this game. 

Houston BYU Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Tuesday, January 23, 2024 (9:00 pm ET start time) is Houston 82 BYU 75.

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Houston Cougars: 19-8 ATS off a no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite. 27-13 ATS off 2 consecutive home wins by 10 points or more. 24-12 ATS after a game where they failed to cover the spread. 13-5 UNDER in all games. 13-5 UNDER as a favorite. 8-4 UNDER after 1 or more consecutive unders. 13-3 UNDER off 2 or more consecutive home wins.

BYU Cougars: 6-11 ATS when the line is +3 to -3. 86-129 ATS as an underdog. 1-4 ATS against conference opponents. 14-7 UNDER as a home underdog or pick. 26-15 UNDER in all home games. 12-4 UNDER after 2 straight games where they made 10 or more 3 point shots. 

Houston Cougars:  J. Roberts (F) Ques Tues - Knee. T. Arceneaux (G) out for season - Achilles.

BYU Cougars:  D. Baker (G) out for season - Foot. N. Waterman (F) Ques Tues - Undisclosed. M. Adams Jr. (F) Out indefinitely - Eligibility.

“I want L.J. to keep being aggressive. L.J.’s going to keep doing what he’s doing. We’re going to keep encouraging him. He’ll keep working.” - Kelvin Sampson after his team’s win against UCF in their last game on Saturday.

“I thought they did an unbelievable job with their energy, especially pushing the ball in transition. We did a little bit of a poor job, uncharacteristic for us, actually, managing transition the first six minutes of the second half.” - Mark Pope after his team’s loss against Texas Tech in their last game on Saturday.

L. Cryer 

J. Francis 

J. Roberts 

E. Sharp 

J. Shead

D. Hall 

S. Johnson 

A. Khalifa 

T. Knell 

N. Waterman

PPG: L. Cryer (15.2)

APG: J. Shead (6.1)

Reb/G: J. Roberts (7.1)

PPG: J. Robinson (13.9)

APG: D. Hall (4.6)

Reb/G: N. Waterman (6.5)

Coaches:

Houston Cougars: Kelvin Sampson (10th season)

BYU Cougars: Mark Pope (5th season)