Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between BYU and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have jumped out to a quick 40-33 lead against UC Riverside.
BYU has yet to string together two consecutive wins, but this may be their chance. For now, things are looking good for them.
Who’s Playing
UC Riverside Highlanders @ BYU Cougars
Current Records: UC Riverside 0-1, BYU 1-0
How To Watch
What to Know
The BYU Cougars will face off against the UC Riverside Highlanders at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday at Marriott Center. The Cougars will be strutting in after a victory while the Highlanders will be stumbling in from a loss.
BYU is looking to give their home crowd another W after opening their season at home on Tuesday. They steamrolled past Cent. Arkansas 88-50. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 46-23.
Egor Demin was the offensive standout of the game as he shot 4-for-7 from long range and dropped a double-double on 18 points and 11 assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Richie Saunders, who went 6 for 11 en route to 16 points plus eight rebounds.
BYU smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That’s the most offensive rebounds they’ve posted since back in November of 2023.
UC Riverside kicked off their season on the road on Monday and hit a couple of potholes. The contest between them and Oregon wasn’t a total blowout, but with UC Riverside falling 91-76 on the road it was darn close to turning into one. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for the Highlanders in their matchups with the Ducks: they’ve now lost three in a row.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Barrington Hargress, who had 20 points. What’s more, he also racked up four threes, the most he’s had since back in November of 2023. Another player making a difference was Isaiah Moses, who scored 13 points plus seven assists and two steals.
Going forward, the game looks promising for BYU, as the team is favored by a full 21 points. They finished last season with an 18-12 record against the spread.
BYU ought to be happy about their advantage in the spread: the team was a solid 20-3 when favored last season. Betting on them to win was the most profitable play last year, as bettors who put $100 on that outcome in every game walked away with $719.30. On the other hand, UC Riverside was 4-14 as the underdog last season.
Odds
BYU is a big 21-point favorite against UC Riverside, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Cougars as a 20-point favorite.
The over/under is 153 points.
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