Baylor recently snuck into the top 25 with a No. 25 ranking, but it won't be easy to get a win when they hit the road to take on BYU in this matchup. The teams have identical 13-6 records, but the Bears are just 2-4 on the road, while the Cougars are 10-1 at the Mariott Center. There isn't much separating the teams, as Baylor is sixth in the Big 12 with a 5-3 record, while BYU is seventh with a 4-4 mark. They also split the season series in 2023-24, with each team winning and covering the spread at home. It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Baylor-BYU prediction and pick.

One loss that will haunt Baylor this season is their three-point defeat to TCU at home as 12.5-point favorites. However, despite that setback, it hasn't been a season of much struggles for Baylor. Mostly, they've lost as underdogs, won as favorites, and started the season exactly how most people predicted. They'd love to find a way to steal a couple of unexpected wins to boost their resume and get more battle-tested for the stretch run, but they are right where they want to be.

It hasn't been the same success for BYU, as they feel they should be in a better position after 19 games. The Cougars have lost four of their past ten games, and three of those losses have come when they were the favorites. It was also conference games, which means BYU could have looked much different if they had managed to win the games they were supposed to. The Cougars would be at the top of the Big 12 and much higher ranked than the No. 25 Bears.

Baylor: +3.5 (-105)

Moneyline: +155

BYU: -3.5 (-115)

Moneyline: -185

Over: 142.5 (-110)

Under: 142.5 (-110)

Time: 9 PM ET/6 PM PT

TV: ESPN2

There isn't much separating Baylor and BYU, which could mean that even if the Bears lose, it'll be a tight game they cover. Baylor's offense ranks 63rd in the nation with 79.9 points per game, while BYU's defense is 48th with 66.2 points allowed per game. On the other side of the ball, BYU's offense ranks 50th with 80.4 points per game, and Baylor's defense ranks 77th with 67.8 points per game.

It'd be easy to lean toward BYU in this matchup, considering their sterling home record and the way they beat Baylor at home in 2023-24. BYU has just one loss all year at home, and they were the same 3.5-point favorites against Baylor in last season's matchup. The Cougars managed a seven-point victory in that meeting despite getting beat by nine points when they were the road team earlier in the season. We commended Baylor for taking care of their business earlier in the article, but that doesn't bode well for them in this game. Baylor has been an underdog in six games this season and lost outright every time, and they've been a favorite 13 times and won all of those games. It doesn't mean BYU will cover the spread, but a win feels likely.

We might regret this decision, as we've repeatedly said that not much separates these teams. However, BYU has been nearly unbeatable at home, and the spread is low enough that we could see them cover it with a couple of late free throws or something of that nature.