Iowa State Cyclones vs BYU Cougars Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/21/2026

 

Game Time: 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, February 21, 2026

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

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  ISU -4.5, BYU +4.5; Over/Under:  154.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  ISU -4.5, BYU +4.5; Over/Under:  154.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  ISU -4.5, BYU +4.5; Over/Under:  154.5 points

Iowa State Cyclones:  23-3 (10-3) (3rd place, Big 12)

BYU Cougars:  19-7 (7-6) (7th place, Big 12)

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Iowa State Cyclones:  4-1  last 5

BYU Cougars:  2-3  last 5

Iowa State is entering this game with a 23-3 record overall, a 10-3 record in conference games, and they are 4-3 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Houston Cougars in their last game. Joshua Jefferson led the team in points in that game with 12 while Nate Heise was next on the team with 11. Joshua Jefferson led the team in assists with 5 in that game while Tamin Lipsey led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 49% from the field, 40.9% from 3-point range, and 50% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 83.7 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 64.6 PPG against them. Iowa State has an ATS record of 15-10-1 this season and their O/U record is 12-14.

BYU is entering this game with a 19-7 record overall, a 7-6 conference record, and they are 10-2 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Arizona Wildcats in their last game. AJ Dybantsa led the team in points in that game with 35 while Robert Wright III was next on the team with 13. Robert Wright III led the team in assists with 3 in that game while Keba Keita led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 43.1% from the field, 26.3% from 3-point range, and 81.3% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 85.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 74.5 PPG against them. BYU has an ATS record of 11-15 this season and their O/U record is 13-13.

The current betting odds have BYU listed as a 4.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. BYU has looked good in their games this season with their 19-7 record overall and their 7-6 conference record which has them in the top half of the Big 12. They have looked great on their home court too with their 10-2 home record this season. Meanwhile, Iowa State has looked great in their games this season with their 23-3 record overall and their 10-3 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They have been a good road team too with their 4-3 road record this year. Iowa State has been one of the best teams in the nation this season and they have some really impressive wins, but they haven't been at their best in road games this year and this isn't a great situation for them either. BYU is a tough place to play with this being a really late start time too, and Iowa State is also coming off a big home win over Houston in their last one. They are 4-1 in their last 5 games and have picked up some really good wins during that time, but they are due for a let down game here. BYU is 2-3 in their last 5 games and they haven't looked great against top teams in the conference as they have struggled all season, but Dybantsa has looked a lot better lately and they are going to be desperate to pick up a statement win at home. They are off a loss to Arizona in their last one too, so they will be looking to bounce back at home and they are going to bring their best effort here to show that they can compete with the top of the Big 12. The best way to place a bet here is on BYU to cover the spread in this game. 

Iowa State BYU Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, February 21, 2026 (10:30 pm ET start time) is BYU 76 ISU 67.

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Iowa State Cyclones: 8-3 ATS when the total is 150 to 159.5. 7-2 ATS versus up-tempo teams averaging 62 or more shots/game. 7-3 ATS when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 80%). 6-3 UNDER off a win against a conference rival. 7-3 UNDER when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 80%).

BYU Cougars: 4-8 ATS in all home games. 1-5 ATS after playing a road game. 1-4 ATS off a loss against a conference rival. 6-3 UNDER versus good defensive teams - shooting pct defense of 42% or less.

Iowa State Cyclones:  X. Mitchell (F) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Williams (G) Out - Hip.

BYU Cougars:  R. Saunders (G) Out - Knee. X. Staton (C) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Perry (G) Out - Redshirt. D. Baker (G) Out - Knee. N. Pickens (G) Out - Undisclosed. B. Kozlowski (F) Out - Redshirt.

“Well, obviously hats off to Houston, their program, Coach (Kelvin) Sampson. The respect I have for how those guys play and how they compete couldn't be higher. You know when you come into a game and you're playing a team that's very well coached and very tough and very physical, you need to be at your absolute best.” - T.J. Otzelberger after his team’s win against Houston in their last game. 

“Super disappointed we weren’t able to get the win. We have a locker room that isn’t going to go away, I can tell you that right now. It’s going to be a dogfight every time you play BYU, and we’re going to keep pounding that rock until it breaks. It will break for us eventually.” - Kevin Young after his team’s loss against Arizona in their last game. 

B. Buchanan 

J. Jefferson 

T. Lipsey 

M. Momcilovic 

K. Toure

K. Davis 

A. Dybantsa 

K. Keita 

R. Saunders 

R. Wright

PPG: Milan Momcilovic (18)

APG: Tamin Lipsey (5.3)

Reb/G: Joshua Jefferson (7.5)

PPG: AJ Dybantsa (24.8)

APG: Robert Wright III (4.8)

Reb/G: Keba Keita (7.2)

Coaches:

Iowa State Cyclones: T.J. Otzelberger (5th season)

BYU Cougars: Kevin Young (2nd season)