The BYU Cougars (8-7) will be at the Spanos Center to clash with the Pacific Tigers (10-5) in a WCC matchup. Action begins at 11 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 3, 2019, and can be seen on ESPNU.
BYU Cougars at Pacific Tigers Betting Odds
In their last game, the Tigers were victorious over the SIUE Cougars, 74-65, while the Cougars lost to the seventh-ranked Nevada Wolf Pack, 86-70.
Pacific played a nearly perfect game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 29.6 and a free throw rate of 0.367. SIUE was 14.6 and 0.232, respectively, for those same stats. BYU, on the other hand, had a better effective field goal percentage (0.420 vs. 0.439). Lafayette Dorsey had a good performance for Pacific with 18 points. Yoeli Childs had a good game for BYU, putting up 16 points and 12 rebounds.
This series was highly competitive last year, as the teams split their two games last season. The Cougars won the last matchup 80-65. One of BYU’s biggest strengths was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 21-24 (87.5 percent), while the Tigers were just 6-13 (46.2 percent). This will be the first contest of the year between these two teams.
Childs has been exceptional recently for BYU, averaging 0 points over the last five games.
The physical Pacific offense seems poised to dominate from the foul line. The Tigers currently rank fourth in the NCAA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.351, while BYU ranks 253rd in FTA rate allowed (0.253). Furthermore, the Cougars, who rank 302nd in offensive rebounding percentage (24.8 percent), could have a tough time getting put-back points against the Tigers, who rank 20th in defensive rebounding percentage (76.9 percent).
BYU Cougars at Pacific Tigers Odds Pick
Free College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – BYU, ATS Winner – Pacific, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Pacific ranks 25th in rebounds allowed per game (30.9) while BYU ranks 220th (38.7).
- The Cougars rank 26th in assists per game (16.7) while the Tigers rank 204th (11.3).
- BYU ranks 121st in three pointers attempted per game (23.0) while Pacific ranks 232nd (18.9).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Cougars have scored an average of 80.6 points per game (3.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 66.6 points per game (12.2 below their season average).
- The Tigers have been outscored by an average of 1.4 points in their last five games. For the season, Pacific has defeated opponents by an average of 2.6 points.
