The BYU Cougars (18-8) travel to face off against the Arizona Wildcats (18-8) on Saturday, February 22nd. This game will be played at McKale Center in Tucson and televised on ESPN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 10:00 ET.

BYU Cougars vs Arizona Wildcats

The Cougars Are Coming Off A Win

BYU Cougars Recent Game/Games

BYU improved to 18-8 this season with a dominant 91-57 win over Kansas on Tuesday. The Cougars, who were -3 favorites, not only covered the spread but also saw the total points exceed the O/U line of 147.5, with the game finishing at 148 points.

BYU took control early, leading 46-26 at halftime, and continued their strong play in the 2nd half, scoring 45 points while holding Kansas to 31.

The Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win

Arizona Wildcats Recent Game/Games

Arizona improved to 18-8 on the season with a 74-67 road win over Baylor on Monday. The Wildcats entered the game as +2 underdogs and not only pulled off the win but also covered the spread.

Arizona led 41-33 at halftime and managed to hold on for the win, scoring 33 points in the 2nd half while allowing 34. The total points for the game were 141, falling short of the 154.5 O/U line.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

BYU’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 91 points with a field goal percentage of 51.5%. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 62.1%, thanks in part to their 66.7% shooting from two-point range and 38.9% from beyond the arc, where they hit 14 threes.

Richie Saunders led the way with 22 points, shooting 69.2% overall and 50% from three. Trevin Knell added 15 points, hitting 4 of 7 from deep, while Mawot Mag connected on 3 of 4 threes, finishing with 13 points. The Cougars also dished out 24 assists and grabbed 10 offensive rebounds.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Arizona’s offense put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 48.3% from the field. They were efficient inside, hitting 60% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, making just 4 of 18 threes (22.2%).

The Wildcats dished out 20 assists and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds. VJ Edgecombe led the way with 24 points, while Norchad Omier added 15 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 75% from the field.

Cougars Team Defense

BYU’s defense gave up 57 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 51% from the field on 34 of 66 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 20 of 30 shots to fall, a 66% success rate.

From three-point range, the other team hit 14 of 36 shots, good for 38%. They also went to the free-throw line 12 times, making 9 of those attempts, a 75% clip. BYU gave up 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Wildcats Team Defense

Despite giving up 57 points, BYU’s defense struggled, allowing their opponent to shoot 51% from the field. The Cougars couldn’t contain the inside game, with the other team hitting 66% of their two-point attempts.

From beyond the arc, BYU’s defense allowed 14 threes on 38% shooting. They also sent the opponent to the free-throw line 12 times, where they made 9 of their attempts. BYU gave up 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Cougars vs Wildcats Trends

• In their last three road games, BYU has averaged 73 points per game while allowing 76. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
• Across their last three home contests, Arizona has been good against the spread posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 76 points per game.
• In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Cougars have a straight up record of 2-3 and an ATS mark of 3-2.
• In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Wildcats have a strong straight up record of 2-1. In addition, their ATS record was 2-1 in these scenarios.

Cougars vs Wildcats Prediction

We’re putting our money on the Wildcats to win, and have the projected score sitting at 79-69. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Wildcats at -7.5.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 153.5 and given that our model is projecting 148 points between the teams, we like the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.