WCC foes will battle when the Pacific Tigers (6-10, 1-2 WCC) clash with the BYU Cougars (13-3, 2-1 WCC) at Spanos Center. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 140.5 points with BYU set as a 7-point favorite. Action begins at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 6, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN Full Court.
BYU Cougars vs. Pacific Tigers Betting Preview
The last time the Cougars played, they defeated the San Francisco Dons, 69-59. Elijah Bryant was the top scorer from either team with 17 points on 5-for-14 shooting. BYU played a nearly perfect game. They had a phenomenal free throw rate of 0.400 (above their season average of 0.301) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 32.0 (above their season average of 25.2). San Francisco had marks of 0.057 and 25.8, respectively, for those same stats.
The Tigers are hoping for a better outcome after their 74-56 loss to the Saint Mary’s Gaels in their last outing. Jahlil Tripp led Pacific in scoring with 16 points on 6-for-13 shooting. Saint Mary’s did a fantastic job of converting from the free throw line (14-16; 87.5 percent). Pacific, meanwhile, forced the Gaels into a turnover percentage of 16.2 (above their season average of 12.3).
The physical BYU offense could be getting to the charity stripe a lot in this meeting. The Cougars rank 19th in the NCAA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.306, while Pacific ranks 278th in FTA rate allowed (0.277).
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Cougars won both meetings played against each other last season. In the most recent matchup, BYU won 62-47. BYU’s 0.143 free throw rate was their biggest strength over Pacific, who had a rate of 0.098.
BYU Cougars vs. Pacific Tigers Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – BYU, ATS Winner – BYU, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Tigers rank 36th in steals allowed per game (5.3) while the Cougars rank 78th (6.1).
- BYU ranks 61st in blocks per game (4.3) while Pacific ranks 81st in blocks allowed per game (3.3).
- BYU ranks 66th in assists per game (15.8) while Pacific ranks 181st in assists allowed per game (15.1).
- The Cougars rank 24th in rebounds allowed per game (31.1) while the Tigers rank 94th (33.8).
- BYU ranks 226th in three pointers attempted per game (18.7) while Pacific ranks 280th (13.9).
Bettings Trends:
- The Tigers average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 17.8, up from 3.8 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Cougars have scored an average of 72.0 points per game (3.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 60.2 points per game (5.9 below their season average).
