Once Upon A Time in America Betting Show
Portland Pilots (8-8) vs. BYU Cougars (11-5)
New Year’s Eve is full of exciting college basketball action, and we are breaking down the West Coast Conference showdown from Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, to get you the best Portland vs. BYU betting pick and odds.
The Cougars aim for their 13th consecutive victory over the Pilots. BYU opens as a firm 9.0-point home fave with a total of 151.0 points.
The Portland Pilots fell to 8-8 SU and 7-7 ATS on the season following Thursday’s conference play opener against Loyola Marymount at home. Playing as 3-point favorites, the Pilots suffered a heavy 92-72 defeat. It was their third loss in a row and the fourth in five games along with a 100-61 dismantling of New Orleans.
The Pilots’ defense fell apart last Thursday, allowing the Lions to make 54.2% of their field goals and 15 of their 30 attempts from beyond the arc. Portland shot 41.9% from the field (6-for-19 from deep) and missed 13 of its 27 attempts from the free-throw line. Junior guard Michael Meadows dropped 29 points on the Lions, while freshman forward Alden Applewhite had 12 points and five rebounds.
STARTERS ??
Live now on WCC network. pic.twitter.com/mS0jGsX4Rt
— Portland Pilots Men's Basketball (@PortlandMBB) December 30, 2022
Portland is No. 159 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 143 in the KenPom rankings. The Pilots score 105.4 points per 100 possessions (109th in the country) and surrender 103.4 in return (202nd). They make 9.8 3-pointers per game on an excellent 38.1 percentage clip (34th). Junior guard Tyler Robertson leads the way for the Pilots in 2022-23, racking up 14.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per contest.