BYU vs. Houston Prediction, Odds for Big 12 Championship Quarterfinal

The BYU Cougars are hoping they can still make a deep run in March, despite not having Richie Saunders for the rest of the season, and they got off to a good start in the Big 12 Tournament, cruising past both Kansas State and West Virginia.

The bad news is they now have to face one of the best teams in not only the Big 12, but the entire country. The Houston Cougars earned the No. 5 spot in the latest AP Poll, and they seem well poised to make another run at the National Championship.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for this quarterfinal showdown.

BYU vs. Houston Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Spread

BYU +10 (-110)
Houston -10 (-110)

Moneyline

BYU +400
Houston -550

Total

OVER 145.5 (-110)
UNDER 145.5 (-110)

BYU vs. Houston How to Watch

Date: Thursday, March 12
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
Venue: T-Mobile Center
How to Watch (TV): ESPN2
BYU Record: 23-10 (9-9 in Big 12)
Houston Record: 26-5 (14-4 in Big 12)

BYU vs. Houston Betting Trends

The UNDER is 18-13 in Houston games this season
The OVER is 17-16 in BYU games this season
BYU is 15-18 ATS this season
Houston is 15-16 ATS this season

BYU vs. Houston Key Player to Watch

AJ Dybantsa, F - BYU Cougars

With Saunders out for the season, BYU can only go as far as AJ Dybantsa can take them. He was on fire in the first two games of the tournament, combining for 67 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists, and five steals. He has a significantly tougher matchup ahead of him tonight. Can Dybantsa continue to produce against this stout Cougars defense?

BYU vs. Houston Prediction and Pick

I'm going to take the points with BYU in this game. Houston has a lot of strengths, but I struggle to lay points on them when they are facing a disciplined team like BYU. Houston thrives in creating extra scoring chances by grabbing offensive boards and forcing turnovers, but BYU does a great job in both of those areas.

If Houston can't create many extra scoring chances, it's hard for them to win by margin based on their shooting alone. They rank 136th in the country in effective field goal percentage, well below BYU, which comes in at 49th in that metric.

This spread is too big. Give me the points with the underdog.

Pick: BYU +10 (-110)

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!