A five-game home winning streak is on the line for the BYU Cougars (9-8, 1-1 WCC) when they square off against the Portland Pilots (7-9, 0-1 WCC) at Marriott Center. The game begins at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 10, 2019.
Portland Pilots at BYU Cougars ATS Odds
In their last outing, the Cougars were beaten by the seventh-ranked Nevada Wolf Pack, 86-70, while the Pilots beat the Multnomah Lions, 111-103.
Portland played a nearly perfect game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 30.8 and a free throw rate of 0.231. For those same stats, Multnomah put up marks of 12.2 and 0.092, respectively. BYU, meanwhile, had a better effective field goal percentage (0.420 vs. 0.439). BYU’s Yoeli Childs had a good outing, recording 16 points and 12 rebounds. Josh McSwiggan, meanwhile fueled Portland with 37 points and 11 rebounds.
The Cougars dominated this series last year, taking both games. In the last game, BYU won 72-60. BYU’s rebounding was their largest advantage. The Cougars had more offensive rebounds (eight vs. one), defensive rebounds (30 vs. 27) and total rebounds (38 vs. 28). This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams.
The Pilots’ Marcus Shaver Jr. has been playing at a high level over his last five games, averaging 0 points per game. Meanwhile, Childs has averaged 0 points during that same time frame for the Cougars.
BYU could put on a ball-control clinic in this contest. BYU ranks 14th in the NCAA at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 15.3 percent), while Portland forces the 48th-fewest turnovers (16.9 percent).
Portland at BYU Free Pick
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Byu, ATS Winner – Portland, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- BYU averages 15.8 assists per game, which ranks 47th in the nation. Portland ranks 196th in assists allowed per game (14.9).
- The Pilots rank 45th in steals allowed per game (5.5) while the Cougars rank 77th (6.1).
- The Cougars average 37.6 rebounds per game, which ranks 92nd in the nation. The Pilots rank 225th in rebounds allowed per game (38.3).
- BYU averages 22.8 three pointers per game, which ranks 136th in the country. Portland ranks 181st in three pointers allowed per game (24.0).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Pilots have scored an average of 81.0 points per game (9.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 79.4 points per game (5.1 above their season average).
- The Cougars’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 14.0, up from 3.9 for the season.
