NCAAB: UCF vs #20 BYU Odds, and Picks (Mar 13)

• UCF remained alive by defeating Oklahoma State, winning by a score of 77-62.
• BYU closed out the regular season with a win over Oklahoma State of their own.
• These two teams last matched up on February 13, in a game that BYU won 90-88.

Selection Sunday is less than a week away! Let’s look at this Big-12 Tournament matchup between the UCF Knights and the BYU Cougars. UCF will need to keep winning to keep their tournament hopes alive.

How to Watch

• ESPN2

Preview

UCF improved to 17-14 following their victory in the first round of the Big-12 tournament. They remain unlikely to receive an at-large bid for the main tournament, making their most realistic path to win four more games and the Big-12 title. The Knights will face an uphill battle after finishing 11th in their first year in the Big-12, but did pick up some solid wins as well. For now, they’ll have to focus on one game at a time.

BYU sits safely in the projected NCAA Tournament field as a 5-seed. They finished with a record of above .500 in conference play in their first season in the Big-12. The Cougars can continue their impressive transition by picking up more wins in the Big-12 Tournament. With some dangerous mid-majors locking into the 12-seed line, BYU would greatly benefit from rising higher than a 5-seed. They’ll need to win here.

Prediction

The Big-12 has been college basketball’s top conference this season, making this tournament an exciting and unpredictable experience. Any of the 12 teams left alive could make a run to the conference finals on a neutral court. With all of that being said, I still see UCF coming up a bit short against BYU in this matchup.

NCAAB Picks:

• BYU 78, UCF 71 (UCF +9.5)