The Pacific Tigers take on the BYU Cougars in Provo, Utah. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
BYU favored by -22.5 points on the spread with a price of 99 cents to win and the total set at 147.5 points on Fanatics Markets.
Here’s my Pacific vs. BYU predictions and college basketball picks for December 16, 2025.
Pacific vs BYU Prediction
My Pick: BYU -22.5 (Play to -25)
My Pacific vs BYU best bet is on the Cougars to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Pacific vs. BYU Odds
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Pacific vs BYU College Basketball Betting Preview
Pacific Basketball
Pacific has enjoyed a strong second season of the Dave Smart era. The Canadian coaching legend has the Tigers sitting at 8-3 and they look like a potential top-five team in the WCC.
The Tigers are a terrific defensive squad, ranking 107th in defensive efficiency. They excel at limiting teams from making field goals, as opponents shoot just 47% from inside the arc and 29% from deep. If Pacific can solve its worrisome foul issues, it would be a top-100 defense.
Coach Smart is all about controlling the tempo and winning the shot-volume battle. The Tigers limit teams to a 24% offensive rebound rate. On the flip side, Pacific grabs 34% of its own misses.
Pacific has a bona fide stud in senior forward Elias Ralph. The fellow Canadian leads the Tigers with 16.8 points per game while shooting 47% from the field and 44% from deep. He's the heartbeat of the Pacific roster, and a good defender in his own right.
Offensively, it'll be tough for Pacific to hang with BYU. That's no shocker, but the Tigers' offensive woes are pretty severe (145th in offensive efficiency).
The Tigers shoot just 32.8% from 3 (208th nationally) and 54.3% from 2 (108th nationally).
Ralph is just one of two Pacific players who average double-digits — the other is guard TJ Wainwright.
BYU Basketball
BYU is 3-1 against the spread against mid-major opponents. The only non-cover was versus Delaware, a game in which the Blue Hens led at the half before BYU won by 17. The Cougars beat California Baptist, Holy Cross and UC Riverside by 30+ points.
The Cougars are one of the best offensive teams in America (ninth in offensive efficiency) and will provide a unique test for Pacific.
I can assure you, the Tigers haven't faced someone like AJ Dybantsa, who's on a total warpath of late. Dybantsa scored 22+ points with five-plus rebounds and assists in his past three games. He's turned into a stud scorer and playmaker, making him all the more dangerous.
Point guard Robert Wright III and sharpshooter Richie Saunders have also been terrific. Wright is a slippery guard who could use his quickness to cause problems for the Pacific defense.
Don't sleep on BYU's defense, either. The Cougars rank 14th in defensive efficiency, a huge boost from last season's brutal unit. They brought in Kennard Davis Jr. to be a stout perimeter defender, and Dybantsa is even a better defender than he gets credit for.
The straw that stirs the defensive drink is big man Keba Keita. He might be smaller than Pacific center Isaac Jack, but Keita can use his speed to jet past Jack for some lobs.
Pacific vs. BYU Betting Analysis
The best team Pacific has faced to date is California, and the Tigers lost 67-61.
A low-scoring game like that is the only chance Pacific has of staying close to BYU.
I don't see the Tigers being able to compete with the size, athleticism and pure talent of the Cougars, as they're the type of team that can dominate non-high-major opponents by 25-30 with relative ease.
My Pick: BYU -22.5 (Play to -25)
