Omaha Mavericks at No. 25 BYU Cougars
Friday, November 6, 2026
9:00 PM ET, Marriott Center
BYU is a 31.5-point favorite at most books, and the total sits at 160.5. My play is Under 160.5.
Robert Wright III just dropped 35 on Ohio State and the Cougars erased a double-digit hole with a 60-point second half. The market answered by stretching this line past 30 and floating a total that assumes another track meet. Omaha is not Ohio State.
Different movie, same Provo building.
Monday in Salt Lake was a Big Ten measuring stick. All five BYU starters hit double figures, Wright went 10-of-16 with four threes, and Kevin Young’s club looked March-ready after back-to-back NCAA trips. That film is why BYU is laying a touchdown-and-a-half of basketball points.
Omaha beat Mid-America Christian 73-65. Cahmai Crosby scored 21 in his debut, Jonny Jordan Jr. and Deke Thompson added 13 apiece, and Grant Stubblefield — basically the lone major returner on a portal-rebuilt roster — chipped in 11. Fine opener. Not a 80-point road profile at elevation against a ranked defense.
The BEST 2026 Basketball Bonus: Deposit $100 to $1000 and get a 75% real cash bonus when you deposit using Bitcoin at Bovada Sportsbook!
The Saturday hangover is already booked
The Mavericks tip again at Utah State on Saturday afternoon. That is a brutal first road trip: Provo Friday, Logan Saturday, never mind that Omaha has never played BYU. When the deficit hits 20 in the second half, Chris Crutchfield is not asking his new rotation to chase a total. Young will clear his bench too. Blowouts lean under more than bettors admit.
Last season BYU averaged 83.5 points against real competition. Omaha hovered around 76 and gave almost as many back. Stick those profiles in a Marriott Center game that stops being competitive and 160.5 starts to look like a relic of Wright’s Ohio State explosion.
The Mavericks also have never tipped against BYU. Their only prior Utah trip was a 79-73 loss at Southern Utah in 2024. New faces, thin continuity, high altitude, and a ranked opponent coming off a statement win — that is how totals die quietly in the final 12 minutes.
Why I could be wrong. Wright can go nuclear for 36 minutes and BYU’s threes can turn this into 100-65 before the mop-up crew arrives. The line already jumped from about 29.5 to 31.5 — the market is not shy about the mismatch. Early-season totals are noisy.
Still, the under does not need a nail-biter. It needs a normal thrashing. That is the most likely script.
Projected score: BYU 92, Omaha 60.
The Pick: Under 160.5
Fade the shootout number and bring some extra bankroll into Friday night. New players at MyBookie Sportsbook get a 100% REAL CASH bonus on a first deposit of $100 to $300 with promo code PREDICT100. That’s a FREE way to bet Under 160.5 and the rest of your Friday college basketball picks.
