BYU Cougars (18-8) vs. Pepperdine Waves (7-19)
February 12, 2022 10:00 pm EDT
The Line: Pepperdine Waves +13 / BYU Cougars -13; Over/Under: -142.5
(Click here for latest betting odds)
The BYU Cougars and the Pepperdine Waves meet in college basketball action from the Firestone Fieldhouse on Saturday night.
The BYU Cougars will try to build on an 83-82 OT win over Loyola Marymount last time out. Alex Barcello leads the Cougars with 16.8 PPG while Fousseyni Traore has a team-high 8.3 RPG to lead the Cougars on the glass and Te’Jon Lucas has 10.7 PPG with a team-high 4.6 APG to lead the Cougars in the assist department and to make up the other half of the pair of double-digit scorers for BYU so far this season. As a team, BYU is averaging 73.1 PPG on 44.2% shooting from the field, 35.4% from three and 72.6% from the foul line while allowing 67.9 PPG on 41.5% shooting from the field and 29.9% from three this season.
The Pepperdine Waves will look to rebound from a 105-61 loss to San Francisco last time out. Jan Zidek leads the Waves in scoring with 12.7 PPG along with 3.9 RPG while Houston Mallette has 11.7 PPG and Maxwell Lewis has 11.3 PPG to make up the trio of double-digit scorers for Pepperdine this season. Jade’ Smith has 8.6 PPG with 4.6 RPG and Keith Fisher Jr. has 8.6 PPG with a team-high 6.4 RPG as well to lead Pepperdine on the boards this season. Mike Mitchell Jr. has 8.4 PPG with 3.6 RPG and a team-high 4.5 APG as well to lead Pepperdine in assists. As a team, Pepperdine is averaging 67.7 PPG on 41.1% shooting from the field, 33.3% from three and 72.2% from the foul line while allowing 76.5 PPG on 45.3% shooting from the field and 32.6% from three this season.
BYU is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games overall and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a win while the over is 6-0-1 in their last 7 games against a team with a losing record. Pepperdine is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall and 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog while the under is 6-1 in their last 7 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
I get why BYU is favored here, but as bad as Pepperdine’s been, they’re not that bad to be giving up double-digits against a BYU team that couldn’t cover themselves with a sheet let alone cover a point spread right now and it almost looked like BYU wasn’t going to snap their losing streak against Loyola Marymount. I think this is a spot where you fade BYU more than anything and bite the bullet with Pepperdine here.
