Who’s Playing
Nicholls State @ Brigham Young
Current Records: Nicholls State 0-2; Brigham Young 2-1
What to Know
The Brigham Young Cougars’ homestand continues as they prepare to take on the Nicholls State Colonels at 9 p.m. ET Nov. 19 at Marriott Center. The Cougars will be strutting in after a victory while Nicholls State will be stumbling in from a defeat.
BYU skirted by the Missouri State Bears 66-64 on Wednesday thanks to a clutch half-court bomb from guard Dallin Hall with 0:01 left to play. Forward Noah Waterman (15 points) was the top scorer for BYU.
Meanwhile, Nicholls State ended up a good deal behind the Wyoming Cowboys when they played last week, losing 79-68. Despite the loss, Nicholls State had strong showings from guard Micah Thomas, who had 22 points, and forward Marek Nelson, who had 18 points. Nelson had some trouble finding his footing against the Arizona Wildcats last Monday, so this was a step in the right direction.
The Cougars are the favorite in this one, with an expected 16-point margin of victory. But bettors beware: they are 0-2 against the spread when favored.
BYU’s win brought them up to 2-1 while the Colonels’ defeat pulled them down to 0-2. A pair of numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: BYU has allowed their opponents an average of 12.3 steals per game, the 361st most in college basketball. To make matters even worse for BYU, Nicholls State enters the game with 12.5 steals per game on average, good for seventh best in college basketball. In other words, the Cougars will need to work extra hard to take care of the ball.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 9 p.m. ET
- Where: Marriott Center — Provo, Utah
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $3.00
Odds
The Cougars are a big 16-point favorite against the Colonels, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Cougars as a 16.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
This is the first time these teams have played each other within the last seven years.
