The Portland Pilots (7-17, 0-9 WCC) will try to put an end to their 10-game losing streak when they square off with the BYU Cougars (14-10, 6-3 WCC) at Earle A. Chiles Center. The game starts at 11 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 7, 2019, and will air on ESPN2.
BYU Cougars vs. Portland Pilots Betting Prediction
In the Cougars’ last matchup, they thoroughly outplayed the Loyola Marymount Lions, 67-49. BYU’s 14.7 turnover percentage was their largest strength over Loyola Marymount, who had a mark of 23.5. The Cougars’ mark was worse than their season average of 13.5, while the Lions’ was above their season average of 17.6. With 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting, Gavin Baxter was the game’s high scorer.
The Pilots lost to the Santa Clara Broncos in their last matchup, 69-63. One of Santa Clara’s biggest advantages was getting to the charity stripe. They made 34 trips to the line, while Portland went just 13 times. Marcus Shaver Jr. had a solid game for Portland, leading the team in scoring with 15 points on 6-for-16 shooting.
This is the second game of the season between these two squads. In the first, Yoeli Childs scored a game-high 28 points and the Cougars beat the Pilots 79-56. He also put up 12 rebounds. The Cougars had a much better turnover percentage (14.7 vs. 22.7) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.573 vs. 0.431).
The physical Portland offense might be living from the charity stripe in this showdown. The Pilots currently rank 88th in the country with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.262, while BYU ranks 261st in FTA rate allowed (0.250). Moreover, the Cougars rank 12th in turnover percentage (15.2 percent), while the Pilots rank 297th in opponents’ turnover percentage (17.2 percent).
BYU Cougars vs. Portland Pilots Betting Pick
Basketball Tip: SU Winner – Byu, ATS Winner – BYU, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
BYU ranks 49th in assists per game (15.5) while Portland ranks 229th in assists allowed per game (15.5).
The Cougars rank 154th in rebounds per game (35.6) while the Pilots rank 253rd (33.0).
BYU ranks 39th in blocks allowed per game (2.6) while Portland ranks 98th (3.3).
The Cougars rank 37th in steals allowed per game (5.3) while the Pilots rank 87th (6.1).
Bettings Trends:
The Cougars have been outscored by an average of 3.0 points in their last five games. For the season, BYU has defeated opponents by an average of 3.4 points.
During their last five games, the Pilots have scored an average of 63.6 points per game (4.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 79.6 points per game (4.3 above their season average).
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