The Oklahoma State Cowboys (12-18, 4-13) go on the road to face the BYU Cougars (21-9, 9-8) to close out the regular season tonight. The Cowboys have struggled mightily, losing four of their last five contests, including two double-digit losses to Texas Tech and Texas. Meanwhile, the Cougars are coming off a hard-fought 68-63 loss at #6 Iowa State. Although it didn’t come away with the victory, it was a reminder that BYU is capable of hanging around with the nation’s best teams. The Cougars could secure a Big 12 tournament first-round bye with a win.
Oklahoma State finds itself on the opposite end of the spectrum, floundering at the bottom of the conference standings. The Cowboys’ season has been marred by mediocrity on both ends of the floor, ranking 244th in scoring offense and 184th in scoring defense. As a result, they find themselves playing for nothing but pride at this point.
The Cowboys’ metrics are predictably subpar, ranking 121st in the NET and 108th in KenPom. The struggling program is just 1-8 on the road and 2-9 in Quad 1 matchups. Guard Javon Small leads the team with 14.3 points per game on 43.6 percent shooting. The junior is a rare bright spot offensively for Oklahoma State, scoring at least 13 points in eight of his last nine appearances.
BYU
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The Cougars’ metrics are even better than their AP ranking, coming in at 12th in the NET and 17th in KenPom. Their offense ranks 13th in adjusted efficiency, thanks to their ability to punish defenses from all areas of the floor. BYU has many different scoring threats, starting with guard Jaxson Robinson. The 6’7 senior averages 13.8 points on 42.5 percent shooting. Forward Fousseyni Traore is another underrated contributor, scoring 10.3 points on 62.9 percent shooting to go with 5.3 rebounds per contest.
Oklahoma State vs BYU Game Prediction
It’s best to not overthink this one. While the spread is hefty, it’s for good reason, as BYU completely outclasses Oklahoma State in every aspect. With conference and NCAA Tournament seeding on the line, the Cougars will have plenty of reason to not take their foot off the gas. Expect them to cover the spread and win handily.
While BYU can put up points in a hurry, the Cowboys are much more suspect in that regard. Don’t expect Oklahoma State to score enough to justify the point spread. Take the under here.
Final Prediction
BYU -13.5 and Under 151
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Joshua is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. He started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper. When he’s not watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or writing a screenplay. Follow him on X @joshvaldez100.
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