The BYU Cougars (15-7, 4-3 WCC) welcome the Pepperdine Waves (11-10, 4-3 WCC) to Marriott Center as they attempt to prolong their nine-game home winning streak. The game will air on CBS Sports Network at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 30, 2020.
Pepperdine Waves at BYU Cougars ATS Prediction
In the Waves’ last outing, they beat the Portland Pilots, 80-69. Pepperdine won the rebounding battle. The Waves had 14 offensive rebounds and 46 total rebounds, while the Pilots had four and 34, respectively. Pepperdine received a boost from Skylar Chavez, who was the team’s leading scorer with 24 points on 8-for-18 shooting.
The Cougars lost a close one to the San Francisco Dons in their last contest, 83-82. One of San Francisco’s largest advantages was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 10-11 (90.9 percent), while the Cougars were just 7-10 (70.0 percent). BYU’s Yoeli Childs contributed 19 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the game.
After the Cougars won the lone game against the Waves last season, 87-76, these teams will battle for the first time this year. BYU did a fantastic job of getting to and converting from the free throw line (26-34; 76.5 percent). Pepperdine, on the other hand, had a much better turnover percentage (13.6 vs. 19.8).
The high-powered offense of BYU will square off against the bottom-tier defense of Pepperdine. The Cougars rank 17th in offensive efficiency, while the Waves are 319th in defensive efficiency. The Cougars figure to have the advantage on that side of the ball.
Pepperdine at BYU Odds Pick
Prediction: ATS Winner – Pepperdine, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
BYU averages 16.6 assists per game, which ranks 11th in the NCAA. Pepperdine ranks 232nd in assists allowed per game (15.8).
The Cougars average 24.9 three pointers per game, which ranks 65th in the NCAA. The Waves rank 129th in three pointers allowed per game (21.5).
BYU ranks 21st in blocks allowed per game (2.4) while Pepperdine ranks 66th (3.0).
The Waves rank 208th in rebounds per game (34.2) while the Cougars rank 243rd (33.0).
The Waves’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 4.2, up from 0.2 for the season.
During their last five games, the Cougars have scored an average of 82.8 points per game (7.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 75.0 points per game (9.5 above their season average).
