Wednesday night’s Big 12 basketball showdown between the BYU Cougars and the Arizona Wildcats will be an interesting one in Tucson. Arizona enters this game seeking to rebound from back-to-back setbacks after a 23-0 start to the season, while BYU is looking to capitalize on its recent momentum despite a season-ending loss of one of its key veterans. With both teams entering with potent offenses, this matchup is expected to be high-scoring as these teams battle it out for Big 12 positioning. Before it begins, continue reading to find my BYU vs Arizona prediction.
Pick: BYU +11.5 ATS PRO
Confidence: 3/5
Arizona Wildcats
BYU Cougars
Statistic | BYU | Arizona |
|---|---|---|
Points per game | 86.5 | 88.2 |
Points allowed per game | 74.5 | 68.6 |
Team Field Goal % | 48% | 51% |
Rebounds Per Game | 39.5 | 43.8 |
Assists Per Game | 14.7 | 17.8 |
Arizona’s offensive efficiency is elite, with scoring in the upper echelons of the Big 12 and the country. The Wildcats also excel at limiting opponents’ scoring, making them a challenging assignment for any team. BYU’s offense is also productive, and that is especially noteworthy given the loss of their star senior. Still, the Cougars may struggle to match Arizona’s pace without a similar depth of scoring options.
The two teams met earlier this season with Arizona winning a tightly contested 86-83 decision, a game where BYU fought back from a large deficit but came up short. Arizona has dropped two straight games coming into this contest and will try to bounce back here. The Wildcats are 14-10-1 against the spread going into this game, while BYU is is 10-15 against the spread entering Wednesday's play.
Score Projection: BYU 85 – Arizona 90 ATS PRO
Win Probability: BYU 18%, Arizona 82% ATS PRO
The absence of Peat for the Wildcats should keep them from winning in any sort of blowout fashion in this contest. I do still expect Arizona to get the victory in this matchup, but I'm going to take the points with BYU, who seemed to figure things out against the Wildcats down the stretch in their first meeting of the season.
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