The UCF Knights take on the BYU Cougars in Provo, Utah. Tip-off is set for 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
BYU is favored by 10.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -600. The total is set at 164.5 points.
Here’s my UCF vs. BYU prediction and college basketball picks for February 24, 2026.
UCF vs BYU Prediction
My Pick: BYU -10
My UCF 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.
UCF vs. BYU Odds
| UCF Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10 -110 | 164.5 -110o / -110u | +450 |
| BYU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10 -110 | 164.5 -110o / -110u | -600 |
- UCF vs BYU spread: BYU -10
- UCF vs BYU over/under: 164.5 points
- UCF vs BYU moneyline: UCF +450, BYU -600
UCF vs BYU College Basketball Betting Preview
UCF Basketball
UCF comes into this game 19-7 overall (10-8 in the Big 12) and winners of two straight after its 73-71 victory at Utah.
The Knights have had a lot of success at home this season but they've struggled a bit on the road in conference play, sitting at 3-4 overall in Big 12 road games.
UCF is third in the conference in 3-point shooting, hitting 35% in conference play. Sharpshooter Riley Kugel missed the last game against Utah due to an apparent lower leg injury suffered during a win over TCU on Feb. 17. Head coach Johnny Dawkins said Kugel's status remains day-to-day.
If Kugel can't go against BYU, junior forward Jordan Burks will look to continue his hot shooting. He's drilling 43% from deep in his last three games.
Senior point guard Themus Fulks is a dynamic playmaker for the Knights, accumulating 364 points and 170 assists on the season. Where he does his damage is out of the pick-and-roll. So far this season, 43% of Fulks' shot attempts have been out of that set, where he's shooting 58-of-123 (47.2%) on the season.
This is a key stat to note because in BYU's last game against Iowa State, the Cyclones' point guard Tamin Lipsey scored a team-high 19 points with most of his shots coming out of the pick-and-roll.
BYU Basketball
BYU is coming off a very impressive win against Iowa State and now has an overall record of 20-7 (8-6 in the Big 12).
What makes BYU's offense difficult to guard is its aggressiveness in attacking the paint. The Cougars are one of the top teams in the Big 12 in free-throw rate percentage and had 40 points in the paint to go along with 20 free-throw attempts against Iowa State.
It also helps when one of your players is AJ Dybantsa. He has continued to put up big numbers against good opponents, racking up 29 points (59% shooting), grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out nine assists in the win against No. 6 Iowa State.
That now puts Dybantsa at an average of 30.6 points per game in his last six games.
The freshman is a dynamic scorer anywhere on the floor for BYU, and like UCF's Fulks, Dybantsa loves to score as the ball handler out of the pick-and-roll, shooting 60-of-112 (53.6%) from the field, including 8-of-17 (47%) from 3.
He's one of the best in the country at drawing fouls and converting and-ones. On the season, Dybantsa has converted 27 and-ones. For comparison, Duke's Cam Boozer has converted 24.
UCF vs. BYU Betting Analysis
If Kugel can't go, it'll be a big blow for UCF in a game it'll have to match BYU shot-for-shot.
Fulks will be looking to be aggressive against this BYU defense and will have success out of the pick-and-roll — like he's had all season — but I don't think that will be enough.
Defensively, BYU has looked better in its last two games. The Cougars held Iowa State to 69 points and the Cyclones' leading scorer — Milan Momcilovic — to five points in their win. Arizona had to rely on making nine triples at home to beat the Cougars.
Offensively, BYU is the best 2-point shooting team in the Big 12 thanks to Rob Wright III and Dybantsa's craftiness, allowing them to use their athleticism to get downhill.
That should continue against UCF, which has the worst 2-point defense in the Big 12.
My Pick: BYU -10
