The Holy Cross Crusaders take on the BYU Cougars in Provo, Utah. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
BYU is favored by -37.5 points on the spread, and the total is set at 166.5 points.
Here’s my Holy Cross vs. BYU prediction and college basketball picks for November 8, 2025.
Holy Cross vs BYU Prediction
My Pick: Over 166.5
My Holy Cross vs BYU best bet is on the over. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Holy Cross vs. BYU Odds
| Holy Cross Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+37.5 -108 | 166.5 -105 / -115 | OFF |
| BYU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-37.5 -112 | 166.5 -105 / -115 | OFF |
- Holy Cross vs BYU spread: BYU -37.5
- Holy Cross vs BYU over/under: 166.5 points
Holy Cross vs BYU College Basketball Betting Preview
Holy Cross Basketball
Holy Cross had a fairly competitive first game of the season, falling 89-79 to Providence. This test will be tougher, given that BYU is better than Providence.
The Crusaders may have a star on their hands in sophomore guard Tyler Boston. He had a phenomenal game against Providence, scoring 25 points, grabbing four rebounds, and dishing out six assists.
Freshman "center" Aidan Disu was also a standout. He scored 16 points in his college debut.
Holy Cross doesn't have much size, but it'll look to make up for the lack of length by firing away from deep. All five starters in the Crusaders' lineup can shoot it. The tallest starter is 6-foot-7, but it didn't affect their rebounding against Providence. The Friars only won the rebounding battle, 42-37, so we'll see if the lack of length catches up to Holy Cross here.
Defensively, Holy Cross could get destroyed here. Providence shot 62% from two-point range against them and scored 1.14 PPP. That's where the size issues come back to bite the mid-major squad.
BYU Basketball
BYU beat Villanova, 71-66, in its season-opener in Las Vegas. It wasn't the prettiest showing from the Cougars, but that's not a bad thing. I was glad to see BYU not only play, but win, playing the opposing team's style.
The Cougars tallied just 1.04 PPP, while shooting 42% from inside the arc and just 5-17 from downtown. That's different than the highly-efficient style we saw in Kevin Young's debut season. I'll give props to a defensive tactician in Kevin Willard, but BYU missed some shots it typically should make.
AJ Dybantsa scored 21 points in his college debut. He shot 9-18 from the field, but he left five points at the foul line. He could destroy Holy Cross here with his 6-9 frame and driving ability.
They'll also need more from Richie Saunders and Rob Wright. Saunders was under the weather heading into the Villanova game, so I can excuse his tough game a bit. He was such an efficient scorer last year — and he'll get rolling. Meanwhile, Wright was 5-16 from the field and missed a ton of layups. He needs to use his speed to get by the Crusaders' guards, but make them pay by finishing.
BYU loves shooting 3s. It also loves efficient scoring. The Cougars were one of the most efficient teams from inside the arc a season ago — and they could be very efficient on Saturday if they feed Dybantsa and Keba Keita in the post. That's where the Crusaders' lack of size will be most noticeable, like it was against Providence.
Holy Cross vs. BYU Betting Analysis
I'm targeting the over here. Neither team plays a blazing fast pace, but BYU makes up for the slower tempo by spacing it well and scoring efficiently. The Cougars are opportunistic when it comes to pushing the tempo. They'll play fast if they need to, and pushing the pace could make sense here.
Holy Cross has enough shooting to hold up its share of the total. It'll play at a fast enough pace and get a lot of 3s up. I'd consider Providence as a better defense than BYU — and Holy Cross nearly scored 80 against them. If they can score in the 70s here, I feel good about the over.
My Pick: Over 166.5
