#8 Houston vs. #16 BYU Picks and Predictions: Cougars Host Cougars
Written by: Nate Hornung
Last Update: Fri Feb 06, 2026, 7:36 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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The Big 12 brings us some Cougar on Cougar crime late on Saturday night out in Provo, as the No. 16 BYU Cougars host the No. 8 Houston Cougars. These teams are two of the best in the country but have shown they aren't invincible recently. Houston was beat by Texas Tech on the road in a high scoring affair, while BYU is coming off three straight losses, and have dropped four of their last five, one of which was also to the Red Raiders on the road. Who will come out on top in this one? Let's get into our favorite picks and find out.
Best Bet: BYU Team Total Over 73.5 (-110) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
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#8 Houston Cougars vs. #16 BYU Cougars NCAA Basketball Insights
Milos Uzan and Houston take on the high flying Cougars of BYU on the road this weekend
The Cougars of Houston have lost just twice all year. They are already off to another 20 win season for Kelvin Sampson, and they are looking to get back to the national championship after losing to the Florida Gators last year. However they must go through the gauntlet that is the Big 12. There's never a night off, and teams have certainly given Houston some scares during conference play.
As for BYU, they were nearly perfect for the first half of the season, only losing to UConn at TD Garden in non conference play. But then the Big 12 season began, and they've quickly been humbled. Sure, they started off 4-0 with wins over Kansas State, Arizona State, Utah and TCU, but now they've dropped games to Texas Tech on the road, to Arizona at home, to Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse and most recently to Oklahoma State in Stillwater. Can they stop this ship from sinking as underdogs on their home floor?
Matchup Information – Houston vs. BYU – February 7
- Venue & Location: Marriot Center (Provo, UT)
- Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026
- Kick Off: 10:30 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: ESPN
Houston vs. BYU Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of February 6, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. eastern. Sign up today with and get a $1,250 deposit bonus, as well as 50 slot spins immediately. Lucky Rebel Sportsbook offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.
Spread
- Houston -1.5 (-115)
- BYU +1.5 (-105)
Moneyline
- Houston -142
- BYU +120
Total
- Over 149.5 (-110)
- Under 149.5 (-110)
#8 Houston vs. #16 BYU NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions
AJ Dybantsa and BYU take on the Houston Cougars this Saturday night in Provo
Houston vs. BYU Prediction: BYU Wins Outright, Over 149.5
Best Bet: BYU Team Total Over 73.5 (-110) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
BYU has gone over this total in all but four of their games this season, and have even covered this number in four of their five losses. Yes, Houston is arguably the best defensive team in the country, but things change when they are away from home (as we saw down in Lubbock). BYU loves to run, and they will certainly push the pace of this game. They don't have the defense to hang with the Cougars in a low scoring game, but I do believe they have the offense to outscore them in a track meet.
BYU is top 50 in the nation in terms of possessions per game. They shoot lights out from anywhere on the floor, ranking top 70 from deep, top 25 inside the arc, and top 75 from the stripe. This team does a great job of crashing the glass on both ends of the floor, but especially on the offensive side of things, ranking No. 31 in offensive rebounding.
Houston is a team that struggles to get to the free throw line, but has no problem sending their opponents there, especially on the road. In four true away games, the Cougars (Houston) are bottom 12 in FT Rate defense and bottom 100 in offensive rebounds allowed. Look for BYU to get creative and find anyway to score as they force Houston to defend more than they are used to.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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