UCF vs. BYU Prediction, Odds for College Basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 24

Two teams in the middle of the Big 12 standings face off on Tuesday night, as potential No. 1 overall pick A.J. Dybantsa and the BYU Cougars host the UCF Knights.

This is the first and only meeting between these teams this season, and they both enter this game off of wins over the weekend.

BYU rebounded from a loss to a top-five Arizona team by knocking off then-No. 6 Iowa State by 10 points at home. Meanwhile, UCF has won back-to-back games over TCU and Utah to improve to 8-6 in Big 12 play.

The Cougars (No. 19 in the country) are still fringe title contenders if Dybantsa has a crazy run in the NCAA Tournament, but they’ve lost two key players in Richie Saunders and Dawson Baker for the rest of the season.

Despite that, BYU is favored by double digits at home against a Knights team that is 4-4 on the road this season.

Let’s take a look at the latest betting odds, a key player to watch and my prediction for this Big 12 showdown on Tuesday night.

UCF vs. BYU State Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

UCF +11.5 (-102)
BYU -11.5 (-118)

Moneyline

UCF: +575
BYU: -850

Total

162.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

UCF vs. BYU How to Watch

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 24
Time: 11:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Marriott Center
How to Watch (TV): ESPN2
UCF record: 19-7
BYU record: 20-7

UCF vs. BYU Key Players to Watch

A.J. Dybantsa, Forward, BYU

Dybantsa may end up being the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’s been terrific all season long, including in back-to-back games against top-10 opponents.

Dybantsa had 35 points in the loss to Arizona and followed that up with a 29-point game against the Cyclones in a huge win for BYU. The freshman is averaging 24.9 points per game, which leads the country, 6.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

He’s been efficient scoring the ball, knocking down 53.3 percent of his shots from the field and 36.3 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. There’s a chance Dybantsa takes over this game and single-handedly wins it for the Cougars.

UCF vs. BYU State Prediction and Pick

This could be a big game for the BYU offense and Dybantsa, as the Knights rank just 113th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency (per KenPom) and are 239th in opponent effective field goal percentage this season.

While BYU has struggled to cover the spread this season (5-8 against the number at home), it should be able to get whatever it wants on offense. On the flip side, the Knights are a top-35 team in adjusted offensive efficiency, giving them a chance to keep up with BYU (eighth in adjusted offensive efficiency) in this game.

The UNDER has actually hit in the majority of both of these team’s games, but they are both averaging over 80 points per night.

I think that sets up well for an OVER on Tuesday, especially since UCF is 28th in the country in 3-point percentage while the Cougars rank outside the top-100 in 3-point defense.

I don’t love either side with this spread at 11.5, but I think we’ll see these offenses reach their season averages tonight. That should push this game closer to 170 when it comes to the total score.

Pick: OVER 162.5 (-105 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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