BYU Cougars vs Utah Utes Picks and Predictions January 24th 2026

Utah heads to Provo to face the #13 BYU Cougars on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 5:30 PM ET at the Marriott Center. This Big 12 conference game will be broadcast on FOX. BYU comes in 16-2 overall and has been dominant at home at 12-1, while Utah is 9-10 and still searching for its first true road win this season.

The market is treating this like a potential runaway. BYU is laying 19.5 with a total of 166.5, which is a big number in a rivalry-style conference spot. Utah’s recent form says they can compete, but BYU’s home scoring profile is the kind that turns “competitive” into “down 18 in a hurry” if the underdog has one bad stretch.

Utah Utes vs #13 BYU Cougars Odds

These are the current betting lines, and bettors should always monitor movement and shop around on the latest college basketball odds.

Team	Moneyline	Spread	Total
Utah Utes	+1210	+19.5 (-118)	O 166.5
#13 BYU Cougars	-4600	-19.5 (-108)	U 166.5

Utah Utes Betting Form

Utah is coming off an 81-78 loss to Kansas State, and that’s the kind of result that matters for this number. Terrence Brown dropped 33 on 58.3% shooting, and the Utes got solid help from Seydou Traore and Don McHenry with 15 each. The offense is not broken. Utah averages 80.2 points per game and shoots 36.0% from three, so they have the tools to score enough to matter, even as a big underdog.

The problem is how that looks away from home. When Utah’s shot-making dips even slightly, they can get stuck trading jumpers while the other team is getting cleaner looks or getting to the line. That’s how you end up chasing, and chasing is exactly what you can’t do in the Marriott Center. If Utah is going to cover +19.5, it needs to stay connected early, avoid turnover runs, and keep BYU from turning rebounds into quick threes. Utah’s recent ATS run helps the case, but a lot of that comes down to whether their offense shows up again in a difficult environment. If you want the quickest way to track Utah’s results and how they’ve been performing lately, the Utah stats and results hub is a useful reference point.

#13 BYU Cougars Betting Form

BYU is coming off an 84-71 loss to Texas Tech, but the offensive pieces still showed up. Robert O. Wright III scored 28 and Richie Saunders added 18. That matters because BYU’s offense is usually the reason it covers numbers like this. They average 86.6 points per game and shoot 48.9% from the field. At home, the scoring can come in waves, and once BYU sees a couple threes go down, the pace and confidence can snowball.

The bigger betting note is the home dominance. BYU is 12-1 at the Marriott Center and undefeated as a favorite this season at 15-0. That’s not a small thing when you’re deciding whether to lay a big spread or look for an alternate angle like a team total. BYU can get margin without needing a perfect shooting night because it creates efficient shots and tends to punish defensive breakdowns quickly. Utah’s road struggles make that a dangerous combination.

Utah Utes vs #13 BYU Cougars Matchup Breakdown

This matchup is really about shot volume and scoring bursts. Utah can score, but BYU can score faster. If BYU dictates tempo and gets early-clock threes, the spread starts to look light. Utah’s best counter is to make this more possession-by-possession, keep the game in the half court, and force BYU to execute without transition rhythm.

The three-point battle matters on both sides. Utah’s 36.0% from deep gives them a way to survive stretches where they aren’t getting to the rim, but it also introduces volatility. If Utah is missing, BYU can turn those long rebounds into quick points. Utah also has to rebound well enough to prevent second-chance threes, because those are the shots that break covers. You can play decent defense for 25 seconds and still lose the possession. That’s how a game gets away.

The total at 166.5 is asking for a lot of scoring, and it assumes Utah contributes. BYU can carry a number, but blowout script can quietly hurt Overs. If BYU is up 22 midway through the second half, possessions often slow, rotations deepen, and the underdog’s offense can get messy. Thinking in terms of game script is usually the right move in big spread spots, and the sports betting strategy guide lays out that logic well without turning it into a math lecture.

Off Board

Jan 25, 2026 16:02 EST

Score

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Spread

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o+159.00-108

Total

u+159.00-108

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Moneyline

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10 Picks Available

Off Board

Jan 25, 2026 16:00 EST

Score

+3.00 -106

Spread

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o+143.00-114

Total

u+143.00-103

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Moneyline

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4 Picks Available

Final

Jan 25, 2026 15:00 EST

Score

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Spread

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o+148.50-108

Total

u+148.50-108

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Moneyline

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5 Picks Made

Utah Utes vs #13 BYU Cougars Predictions and Best Bets

My lean is BYU -19.5, and it’s mostly about the matchup of environment plus offensive ceiling. Utah’s offense can keep this respectable if they shoot well again, but BYU’s home profile suggests it’s far more likely the Cougars create one or two big runs that Utah can’t answer. The market is giving Utah a lot of points, yet the way BYU scores at home still makes this number playable, especially with BYU priced at -108 on the spread.

On the total, I lean Under 166.5. That’s not because BYU can’t score. It’s because 166.5 requires Utah to do its share for 40 minutes, and that’s a big ask for a team that hasn’t won a road game yet. If Utah has one extended scoring drought, the Under becomes the more comfortable side. The other Under path is the game getting out of hand and slowing late, which happens more often than bettors want to admit.

Best Bet: Under 166.5.

NCAAB Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats

Big numbers in conference play are tricky because the matchup can be right and the bet can still lose on game script. That’s why it helps to treat college basketball like a slate, comparing spots and prices instead of forcing one play because it’s a ranked team game.

ScoresAndStats is built for that approach, with today’s college basketball picks available every day so you can compare sides and totals across the board and decide where the number is actually off. On a card with several conference games, that comparison process is often the edge.