The Arizona Wildcats, currently riding a two-game winning streak, are set to host the Brigham Young Cougars, who have lost three of their last five games, with their most recent loss being an 86-83 defeat at the hands of Arizona. This matchup promises to be an exciting one, with Arizona averaging 82 points per game over their last five, while BYU has been scoring at an impressive clip of 85.8 points per game over the same stretch, but also allowing 89.2 points per game, resulting in a net scoring margin of -3.4 points per game. Arizona's recent form has been marked by a 9.2-point average margin of victory, with their last two wins coming by 13 and 3 points, respectively. BYU, on the other hand, has struggled defensively, allowing an average of 89.2 points per game over their last five, which could be a major concern against an Arizona team that has been clicking on offense.
The Brigham Young Cougars have been struggling to find consistency, with their last five games resulting in a 2-3 record, including losses to Houston, Oklahoma State, and Kansas. Despite this, they have been scoring at a high rate, with an average of 85.8 points per game over this stretch. However, their defense has been a major issue, allowing an average of 89.2 points per game, which has resulted in a net scoring margin of -3.4 points per game. Arizona, on the other hand, has been playing well, with a 3-2 record over their last five games, including wins over Oklahoma State, Arizona State, and BYU. They have been averaging 82 points per game over this stretch, while allowing an average of 72.8 points per game, resulting in a net scoring margin of 9.2 points per game. With Arizona's strong offense and BYU's defensive struggles, this game could turn into a high-scoring affair, with the over/under set at 165.5 points.
Arizona's Dominant Home Record
One player to watch in this matchup is Arizona's leading scorer, who has been on a tear lately, averaging 22.5 points per game over the last five games. BYU's defense has struggled to contain high-scoring opponents, and Arizona's offense has been clicking on all cylinders, with multiple players scoring in double figures in each of their last five games. BYU's own offense has been led by their star player, who has been averaging 25.8 points per game over the last five, but has also been struggling with turnovers, averaging 3.5 per game over this stretch. With Arizona's strong defense and BYU's turnover issues, this game could be a battle of opposing strengths, with Arizona's defense looking to shut down BYU's high-powered offense, while BYU's offense looks to exploit Arizona's occasional defensive lapses.
Arizona's recent wins have been marked by strong team performances, with multiple players contributing to the scoring effort. In their last game, a 86-83 win over BYU, Arizona had four players score in double figures, including their leading scorer, who had 28 points. BYU, on the other hand, has been relying heavily on their star player, who has been carrying the load on offense. In their last game, a 90-82 loss to Kansas, BYU's star player had 32 points, but the rest of the team struggled to score, with no other player reaching double figures. With Arizona's balanced offense and BYU's reliance on a single player, this game could be a test of depth and teamwork, with the team that can get the most contributions from their supporting cast likely coming out on top. Arizona has been outscoring their opponents by an average of 9.2 points per game over their last five, while BYU has been outscored by an average of 3.4 points per game over the same stretch.
CHD Scout Prediction
BYU
73
Arizona
86
The CHD Scout prediction has Arizona winning by 13.6 points, with an 87.1% win probability. This prediction is likely based on Arizona's strong recent form, including their 9.2-point average margin of victory over their last five games, as well as BYU's defensive struggles, which have resulted in an average of 89.2 points per game allowed over their last five. Arizona's offense has been clicking on all cylinders, with multiple players scoring in double figures in each of their last five games, and their defense has been strong, allowing an average of 72.8 points per game over this stretch. BYU, on the other hand, has been struggling to find consistency, with a 2-3 record over their last five games, and their defense has been a major issue, allowing an average of 89.2 points per game over this stretch. With Arizona's strong offense and defense, and BYU's defensive struggles, it's likely that Arizona will come out on top in this matchup, covering the 11.5-point spread.
Arizona's strong performance over their last five games has been marked by a number of impressive statistics, including a 49.5% field goal percentage and a 38.5% three-point percentage. They have also been strong on the glass, outrebounding their opponents by an average of 5.2 rebounds per game over this stretch. BYU, on the other hand, has struggled with turnovers, averaging 14.5 per game over their last five, and has also been outrebounded by an average of 2.5 rebounds per game over this stretch. With Arizona's strong shooting and rebounding, and BYU's turnover issues, this game could be a battle of opposing strengths, with Arizona's offense looking to exploit BYU's defensive struggles, while BYU's offense looks to overcome their turnover issues and stay in the game. Arizona has been averaging 82 points per game over their last five, while BYU has been averaging 85.8 points per game over the same stretch, but has also been allowing an average of 89.2 points per game, resulting in a net scoring margin of -3.4 points per game.
A win for Arizona would be a significant boost to their resume, as they look to solidify their position as a top-16 seed. With a win, Arizona would improve to 24-2 on the season, with a 11-2 record in conference play. A loss, on the other hand, would be a setback for Arizona, but would not be devastating, as they still have a strong resume and a high NET ranking. For BYU, a win would be a major upset, and would significantly improve their tournament chances. With a win, BYU would improve to 20-6 on the season, with an 8-5 record in conference play, and would likely move up in the NET rankings. A loss, on the other hand, would be a disappointing result for BYU, but would not be the end of their tournament hopes, as they still have a number of quality wins on their resume. With the tournament stakes high, this game is likely to be a intense and competitive matchup, with both teams looking to come out on top and improve their chances of making a deep run in the tournament. Arizona's current NET ranking of 3 gives them a significant advantage in terms of tournament seeding, but BYU's projected top-4 seed is still within reach if they can pull off the upset.
The recent trends in this matchup suggest that Arizona is the stronger team, with a 3-2 record over their last five games, compared to BYU's 2-3 record over the same stretch. Arizona's offense has been clicking on all cylinders, with multiple players scoring in double figures in each of their last five games, and their defense has been strong, allowing an average of 72.8 points per game over this stretch. BYU, on the other hand, has struggled to find consistency, with a 2-3 record over their last five games, and their defense has been a major issue, allowing an average of 89.2 points per game over this stretch. With Arizona's strong offense and defense, and BYU's defensive struggles, it's likely that Arizona will come out on top in this matchup, covering the 11.5-point spread. Arizona has been outscoring their opponents by an average of 9.2 points per game over their last five, while BYU has been outscored by an average of 3.4 points per game over the same stretch, resulting in a significant disparity in their recent form.