Check out our free BYU vs Pepperdine pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Malibu. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
BYU vs Pepperdine Pick & Preview: Thursday, February 9th Betting Odds
Cougars vs Waves Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: BYU Cougars at Pepperdine Waves
- Where: Malibu at Firestone Fieldhouse
- Date: Thursday, February 9th
- Betting Odds: BYU -7, BYU -315 | PEPP +245 O/U 149.5
Cougars Preview:
BYU heads into this matchup having played 26 games and have an overall record sitting at 16-10. On the road, the Cougars will be playing their 6th game of the season, having gone 2-4. This season, BYU has been favored to win in 14 games, sitting with a mark of 11-3. For today’s contest, BYU has a betting line set -7 points in their favor.
BYU’s leading scorer this season is Rudi Williams, who is averaging 12.31 points per contest. So far, Williams has accounted for 16.35% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 2.65 rebounds per game and 3.0 assists. Fousseyni Traore is the second leading scorer for the Cougars, averaging 12.52 points per game. Between him and Traore, they are accounting for 32.3% of the team’s scoring.
On offense, BYU is scoring a rate similar to the NCAA average at 73.7 points per game. This figure has come despite struggling to knock down shots from outside. Through 26 games, they have only hit 35.4% of their 3-point field goal attempts. For the season, 37.13% of their shots have come from beyond the arc.
Waves Preview:
The Pepperdine Waves head into today’s game in what will be their 26th game of the season, posting a record of 8-17. So far this season, Pepperdine has played 15 games at home, sitting with a record of 8-7. For the season, Pepperdine has been the underdog in 13 games, sitting with a mark of 1-12. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Waves being +7 point underdogs.
Pepperdine’s leading scorer this season is Maxwell Lewis, who is averaging 18.48 points per contest. So far, Lewis has accounted for 23.85% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 5.92 rebounds per game and 2.8 assists. Houston Mallette is the second leading scorer for the Waves, averaging 13.16 points per game. Between him and Mallette, they are accounting for 40.8% of the team’s scoring.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for Pepperdine this season, as they are currently ranked 292nd in college basketball at 68.4 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Waves’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 34.0%, placing them 252nd in the NCAA.
Free Spread Prediction: Pepperdine Waves +7
In today’s matchup, our analysis has identified the best bet as an opportunity to bet on a home underdog. Coming into the game, the BYU Cougars are the betting favorite with a point spread set at -7. However, we anticipate Pepperdine putting up a strong fight and benefiting from playing at home and see them covering the spread. It is likely, the the public is going to side heavily with the Cougars as the favorite. But, we see this line being set too high and like the value of taking the Waves to cover.
