BYU Cougars vs UC Riverside Highlanders Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our UC Riverside vs BYU NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Provo.

UC Riverside vs BYU Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Highlanders versus the Cougars? Tip off is at at 9:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on None. The game will be played at Marriott Center in Provo, UT. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 153 points, and BYU is favored by -21 at home against UC Riverside.

UC Riverside vs. BYU Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UC Riverside Highlanders at BYU Cougars
Where: Provo at Marriott Center
Date: Friday, November 8th
Betting Odds BYU -21, UCRVS +1800 | BYU -5833 O/U 153

Highlanders Preview: Do the Highlanders Stand a Chance in Provo?

UC Riverside Highlanders Recent Game/Games

UC Riverside opened their season with a 91-76 loss to Oregon on Monday. The Highlanders, who were +17 point underdogs, managed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 167 exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 144.5.

Riverside trailed 51-36 at halftime but played the Ducks evenly in the second half, with both teams scoring 40 points.

Highlanders Offense Breakdown

UC Riverside put up 76 points in their last game, shooting 44.6% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range, hitting 12 of their 34 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 53.8%, with a two-point shooting mark of 54.8% (17/31). They struggled at the free-throw line, making just 6 of 12 attempts.

Kwame Evans Jr. led the way with 23 points in 20 minutes, shooting 53.3% overall and 40% from deep. Barrington Hargress added 20 points, hitting 4 threes at a 40% clip. Brandon Angel was efficient, scoring 17 points on 5 of 6 shooting, while Nate Bittle contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Highlanders Team Defense

UC Riverside's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 91 points on 50% shooting from the field. Opponents hit 33 of 66 shots, including 27 of 47 from inside the arc, where they shot 57%.

From beyond the three-point line, UC Riverside allowed 6 made threes on 19 attempts, a 31% shooting performance. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 25 times, where they converted 19 for 76%. UC Riverside gave up 15 offensive rebounds.

Cougars Preview: Will the Cougars Come Through as Home Favorites?

BYU Cougars Recent Game/Games

BYU opened their season with a dominant 88-50 win over Central Arkansas on Tuesday. Playing at home, the Cougars entered the game as -34 favorites and covered the spread with ease.

BYU led 46-23 at halftime and continued their strong play in the 2nd half, outscoring the Bears 42-27. The total points for the game ended at 138, falling short of the 155-point over/under line.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

BYU put up 88 points in their last game, shooting 45.8% from the field and connecting on 15 of 44 threes for a 34.1% rate. Their effective field goal percentage was 55.6%, boosted by 64.3% shooting on two-pointers.

The Cougars grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and dished out 21 assists. Elias Cato led the way with 21 points, hitting 3 of 6 threes, while Egor Demin added 18 points and 11 assists, shooting 4 of 7 from deep.

Cougars Team Defense

BYU's defense held their opponent to 50 points, despite allowing them to shoot 45% from the field on 33 of 72 attempts. The Cougars gave up 18 two-point baskets on 28 shots, a 64% success rate for their opponent.

From beyond the arc, BYU's opponent hit 15 of 44 three-point attempts, shooting 34%. At the free-throw line, they went 7 for 11, making 63% of their shots. The Cougars also allowed 20 offensive rebounds.

Highlanders vs Cougars Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

UC Riverside has a 1-2 record in their last three road games. In this stretch, they averaged 74 points per game while allowing 80. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
Although BYU has a straight up record of 1-4 in their last five home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 2-3. The team averaged 72 points per game in these games.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the underdog, the Highlanders have a straight up record of 3-7. Their record vs the spread in these games was 5-5.
In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Cougars have a strong straight up record of 3-2. In addition, their ATS record was 3-2 in these scenarios.