It will be a battle between WCC opponents when the Pacific Tigers (10-5) welcome the BYU Cougars (8-7) to the Spanos Center. The game starts at 11 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 3, 2019, and will air on ESPNU.
BYU Cougars vs. Pacific Tigers ATS Prediction
In the Cougars’ last matchup, they were topped by the No. 7 Nevada Wolf Pack, 86-70. Getting to the free throw line was one of Nevada’s largest advantages. They had 39 free throw attempts, while BYU had just 19. BYU’s Yoeli Childs had a solid performance, finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Tigers defeated the SIUE Cougars in their last game, 74-65. The Tigers had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (29.6 vs. 14.6) and had a much better free throw rate (0.367 vs. 0.232). Lafayette Dorsey was the top scorer from either team with 18 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field.
The aggressive Pacific offense could be living from the charity stripe in this showdown. The Tigers rank fourth in the nation with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.351, while BYU ranks 253rd in FTA rate allowed (0.253). Furthermore, the Cougars, who rank 302nd in offensive rebounding percentage (24.8 percent), will go head-to-head against the Tigers, who rank 20th in defensive rebounding percentage (76.9 percent).
Childs has averaged 0 points over the last five games for BYU.
After splitting two games last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the last matchup, the Cougars won 80-65. One of BYU’s biggest strengths was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 21-24 (87.5 percent), while the Tigers were just 6-13 (46.2 percent).
BYU Cougars vs. Pacific Tigers Odds Pick
Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Pacific, ATS Winner – Pacific, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Pacific ranks 25th in rebounds allowed per game (30.9) while BYU ranks 220th (38.7).
The Cougars rank 26th in assists per game (16.7) while the Tigers rank 204th (11.3).
BYU ranks 121st in three pointers attempted per game (23.0) while Pacific ranks 232nd (18.9).
Bettings Trends:
The Cougars’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 14.0, up from 5.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Tigers have scored an average of 75.8 points per game (0.4 above their season average) and allowed an average of 77.2 points per game (4.4 above their season average).
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