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It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a BYU-Ole Miss prediction and pick. Find out how to watch BYU-Ole Miss.
Thanksgiving is a time for a lot of interesting and important college basketball matchups. There is Arkansas-Illinois on Thursday afternoon. This game starts roughly 90 minutes after Hogs-Illini. Bettors should know this is a neutral-site game in San Diego. Anyone attending will get a look at two teams which are a work in progress.
Ole Miss has struggled at times in November, particularly on offense. The Rebels beat Grambling at home by only two, scoring a modest 66 points. They scored just 64 in a win over South Alabama. Ole Miss has gotten better in its past two games, including a thumping of Colorado State in which it scored 84 points. The offense might be getting better, but BYU offers a higher level of competition and a more credentialed opponent than what the Cougars have faced thus far. Ole Miss coach Chris Beard is trying to establish a basketball brand at a school which cares more about football. He did that at Texas Tech. Now he has a chance to do that at Ole Miss. This game might give us an early indication of what is possible for the Rebels this season.
BYU is in the first year of the Kevin Young era. Young, a Phoenix Suns assistant and a man who had spent the past decade in pro ball, was tabbed as the replacement for Mark Pope after Pope took the open head coaching job at Kentucky. Young has the task of making sure his system fits the talents of his players and that he doesn’t impose too much on them. As Young gets progressively more comfortable in his surroundings, he can get his players to do more of what he wants, but he knows he has to meet his inherited players halfway. As he recruits the players he is looking for, he can create a more natural fit on future rosters. This season’s roster requires a more delicate touch, and it will be fascinating to see how Young tries to carry off this balancing act at BYU.
Here are the BYU-Ole Miss College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: BYU-Ole Miss Odds
BYU: -3.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -178
Ole Miss: +3.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +146
Over: 150.5 (-105)
Under: 150.5 (-115)
How to Watch BYU vs Ole Miss
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT
TV: FS1
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why BYU Will Cover The Spread/Win
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The spread is small, and BYU can score enough to create some separation from Ole Miss. BYU has an offense which is better than anything Ole Miss has seen this season. The Cougars’ skill level might surprise Ole Miss, given the caliber of competition the Rebels have faced to this point. Some might say that Ole Miss beating Colorado State is a high-quality win. Maybe. Colorado State lost at home to UC Riverside and has not looked like a particularly good team. That Ole Miss win might be overrated at this point.
Why Ole Miss Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rebels play great defense. If Ole Miss might be surprised by the skill level of BYU’s offense, BYU’s players might be surprised and caught off guard by the quality of Ole Miss’s defense. This works both ways, and Ole Miss might be able to turn this game into the ugly slugfest it likes, thereby staying close enough to cover the spread.
Final BYU-Ole Miss Prediction & Pick
Our lean is to BYU, but Ole Miss is coached by Chris Beard and figures to fight the Cougars all the way. We think you should pass on this game.
Final BYU-Ole Miss Prediction & Pick: BYU -3.5
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