College Basketball Odds & Picks for BYU vs. Weber State: Cougars To Win True Road Game?
Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images. Pictured: Mark Pope
- BYU takes on Weber State in an in-state affair.
- The Wildcats are coming off of a loss at home to Utah State earlier this week.
- D.J. James breaks down the matchup and offers up his best bet.
BYU vs. Weber State Odds
| BYU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 149.5 -110o / -110u | -230 |
| Weber State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 145.5 -110o / -110u | +188 |
Both the BYU Cougars and the Weber State Wildcats are coming off of significant losses to Creighton and Utah State, respectively.
These teams look to prove this is a “get right” spot in Ogden, Utah for this in-state rivalry.
Gavin Baxter's season-ending injury will impact the Cougars’ depth, but it should not impact them to the point of losing this game. In fact, they should be able to cover this line as short road favorites.
BYU Cougars
BYU is a top-25 team and could contend for the WCC crown right behind the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
The Cougars have the offensive rebounding capabilities that could propel them to a cover in this one. They rebound 33.0% of the time on the offensive glass, which gives them an edge against most teams.
It should give them even more of an edge against Weber State. The Wildcats are awful when it comes to rebounding on both sides of the ball, as they rank 345th in offensive boards and 220th on the defensive end.
The forwards on BYU (Gideon George, Caleb Lohner and Fousseyni Traore) each average at least six boards per game. If any of the three can body up Dillon Jones, the Cougars will have the clear rebounding margin advantage.
BYU’s other noteworthy advantage is its defensive ferocity. The Cougars rank 37th in overall defensive efficiency, according to KenPom, but they prevent success from beyond the arc (27.0%) and inside, as well (46.3%).
Now, Weber State does not launch too many 3s, but if it is trailing, it will. Those treys would most likely come from Koby McEwen or Seikou Sisoho Jawara, who have each shot over 50 deep balls this season.
Luckily, for BYU, it has the defensive artillery on its wings to prevent these long-range shots. The Cougars also rank 79th in blocked shots, so this gives them another edge on defense.
Weber State Wildcats
Weber State is a fast-paced team. The Wildcats run about 15.3 seconds per possession — which ranks 13th in college basketball — but BYU likes to slow the pace on the defensive end. This might throw the Wildcats off of their rhythm, similar to their games against Washington State and Utah State.
The Wildcats' lack of size will be a problem for them in this matchup. They do not have a forward over 6-foot-6 inches who logs major minutes. Cody Carlson and Alex Tew are role players off of the bench, so they will have trouble on the glass.
BYU has a lot of length on its wings and on the block, so the rebounding margin could stretch to double digits.
One area Weber State could exploit is how often BYU fouls its opponents. 19.9% of Weber State’s points come from the free throw line, so if it can get BYU into foul trouble, it can rule out some of its height/rebounding issues and score some easy points.
However, if the Wildcats do not go down this route, they will not have an easy time finding a source for their points.
Even if BYU does not manufacture many points from downtown, the Wildcats do not defend the arc well at all. They permit a 36.4% 3-point percentage for their foes, which most likely, once again, comes from their issues with length and height. If BYU hits outside shots, it has another edge.
BYU vs. Weber State Betting Pick
BYU is just too long and complete of a team to lose this spread to Weber State. The rebounding margin could get out of hand quickly, and Weber State will not have many second chances on offense.
Since Weber State does not shoot much from long range, it will have to find somewhere to produce buckets, which can only come from getting trips to the line.
If the Wildcats can't get to the line consistently, the Cougars could win by double digits. Weber State will have to wait for another bounce back opportunity, so take BYU in this one at -5.5
Pick: BYU -5.5 (Play to -6.5)
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