The BYU Cougars (15-5) travel to face off against the West Virginia Mountaineers (8-13) on Saturday, February 3rd. This game will be played at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 6:00 ET.
BYU Cougars vs West Virginia Mountaineers
The BYU Cougars Are Coming Off A Win
BYU will be looking to improve their road record to above .500 as they are currently 3-3 on the road this season. Their average scoring margin on the road is +7.0, compared to +23.6 at home.
So far this season, the Cougars have been favored in 17 of their 20 games, going 15-2 in those matchups. In their most recent game, BYU defeated Texas by a score of 84-72.
BYU has an ATS record of 13-6-1 this season. On the road, their ATS mark is 2-3-1. In their last three road games, the Cougars have gone 0-2-1 vs. the spread. As the favorite, BYU is 13-3-1 vs. the spread this year.
So far this season, the over/under record for BYU games is 9-11, and today’s line of 148 is right in line with the average OU line in their games (150). Over their last three contests, the over is 3-0 with an average scoring total of 153 points.
The West Virginia Mountaineers Are Coming Off A Win
West Virginia will look to improve on their 8-8 home record when they take on BYU as 8.5-point underdogs. The Mountaineers have gone 3-10 as underdogs this season, and they are coming off a 69-65 win over Cincinnati.
Over their last 10 games at home, West Virginia has gone 5-5, and they have won three straight at home. So far this season, they have gone 8-13 overall and 3-5 in Big 12 play.
West Virginia’s ATS record this season is currently 9-12, including an 8-8 mark at home. Over their last 3 home games, the Mountaineers have gone 3-0 vs. the spread. As the underdog this year, West Virginia is 5-8 vs. the spread.
West Virginia’s over/under record this season is 10-11 and today’s line of 148 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this year (140.6). So far, 14 of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line. The average scoring total in their last three games is 133 points, and their OU record over their last 10 games is 6-4.
BYU Offense Breakdown
Coming off a good offensive performance, BYU’s offense scored 84 points against Texas. Their field goal percentage for the game was 64%, and they went 13/15 from the free-throw line. Currently leading the team in scoring is Jaxson Robinson who comes into today’s matchup averaging 13.9. Trevin Knell also heads into the game with a PPG average of 11.9.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaxson Robinson (G) | 13.9 | 2.4 | 1.6 |
| Trevin Knell (G) | 11.9 | 3.9 | 1.6 |
| Spencer Johnson (G) | 11.0 | 5.6 | 3.5 |
West Virginia Offense Breakdown
In their most recent game, the Mountaineers’ offense tallied 69 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 68.3 points per game. On the offensive front, the Mountaineers have a season-long field goal percentage of 41%, ranking 344th nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 219th in terms of percentage and 239th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quinn Slazinski (F) | 13.7 | 4.5 | 2.0 |
| Jesse Edwards (C) | 14.8 | 8.4 | 1.0 |
| Raequan Battle (G) | 15.7 | 4.2 | 0.7 |
BYU Team Defense
BYU’s defense has been playing well, ranking 42nd nationally, with 65.7 points allowed per game. BYU’s three-point defense is currently 50th in the country at 5.9 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 40.8% of their shots vs. BYU.
West Virginia Team Defense
The Mountaineers’ defense is presently ranked 178th nationally, allowing an average of 72.2 points per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 8.1 threes per game vs. BYU. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 33.2%.
Cougars vs Mountaineers Trends
- Through their last ten road contests, the Cougars offense has averaged 73 points per game while allowing an average of 70. BYU posted an overall record of 4-6 while going 5-3-2 ATS.
- In their last ten games at home, the Mountaineers have a straight up record of 1-9 while going 3-7 vs. the spread. The team averaged 63 points per game in this stretch.
- Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, West Virginia has an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.
- As the betting favorite, the Cougars have an ATS record of 3-1-1 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 4-1.
Cougars vs Mountaineers Prediction
Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +8.5, the Mountaineers is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 148, and our model predicts the Cougars and Mountaineers to score a combined 144 points. We recommend betting on the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* 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.
Last updated:February 3, 2024 BYU Cougars, West Virginia Mountaineers