The BYU Cougars travel to play the Baylor Bears in a Tuesday evening matchup set to tip off on ESPN2 at 6:00 p.m. CT. Both teams are in interesting spots, trying to get things back on track. BYU (17-6, 5-5 CONF) has been pretty good, near the top of the league, though it struggles with top teams. Meantime, Baylor has been a sizeable letdown, sitting at 3-8 in league play. Here’s a preview, prediction, key storylines, and updated odds to keep an eye on in this matchup as we get set for the game in Waco, Texas.
BYU vs. Baylor Basketball Odds
The BYU Cougars currently sit as 3.5-point favorites, with an over/under total points set at 158.5 total points. Both teams enter the game fairly healthy, so the injury report didn’t affect things much.
Key Storyline: Rob Wright’s Return to Waco
Here comes the fun part, the drama of Rob Wright’s return to Waco is just a few hours away. Sometimes, portal stories don’t have much bad blood involved, but boy, this one feels dicey. This week, Scott Drew discussed it and mentioned that sometimes players leave through the portal, but you prefer that not happen after they’ve already signed a contract. Get the popcorn ready, this one is going to be a fun one!
Match Up to Watch: Baylor Offense vs. BYU Defense
While Baylor hasn’t been consistently great across the board, their offense remains lethal. The Bears are a Top 50 team in the country this season, averaging 83.4 points per game. Meanwhile, BYU’s defense has been just plain bad. The Cougars are No. 167 in the country this season, allowing opponents to score 73.2 points per contest. Should Baylor find some success from three, as they did in their last game against Iowa State, the Bears could pull off a big-time upset win.
Prediction: Baylor 75, BYU 73
You know what? It’s time for an upset. Baylor has been really, really close to breaking through, and I predicted that in our Baylor vs. Iowa State preview. With BYU crashing and hoping to avoid a fifth-straight loss in conference play, the timing feels right. Pair that with the added element of Rob Wright’s return, and you’ve got a recipe for an exciting time in Waco.
