The BYU Cougars take on the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City, Utah. Tip-off is set for 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
BYU is favored by 13.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -1250. The total is set at 166.5 points.
Here’s my BYU vs. Utah prediction and college basketball picks for January 10, 2026.
BYU vs Utah Prediction
My Pick: Utah +14 or Better
My BYU vs Utah best bet is on the Utes to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
BYU vs. Utah Odds, Spread
| BYU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-13.5 -110 | 165.5 -115 / -105 | -1250 |
| Utah Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+13.5 -110 | 165.5 -115 / -105 | +740 |
- BYU vs Utah spread: BYU -13.5
- BYU vs Utah over/under: 165.5 points
- BYU vs Utah moneyline: BYU -1250, Utah +740
BYU vs Utah NCAAB Betting Preview
The Holy War is one of the best rivalries in college sports, but it hasn't been relevant in basketball for several years.
It's been a decade since BYU and Utah each made the NCAA Tournament in the same season. Now that the teams inhabit the same power conference, the rivalry takes on added expectations and pressure.
This season doesn't have the juice yet, with BYU boasting a top-ranked team and Utah finding its footing under a new coach.
Still, for the citizens of one of America's 50 states, this is one of the biggest games of the season.
BYU Basketball
An influx of NIL funding launched BYU into a new stratosphere of recruiting both transfers and high school talent.
So far, it's paid off.
Robert Wright III was ranked 11th among available transfers by EvanMiya after a strong freshman season at Baylor. He averaged 11.5 points and 4.2 assists last season, but he's improved across the board.
He's posting 17.0 points and 5.4 assists a night for BYU, elevating his 3-point percentage from 35.2 to 47.5 and showcasing himself as a weapon at every level.
His arrival in Provo was an afterthought, with the top-ranked recruit and projected top NBA pick — AJ Dybantsa — choosing BYU as well. He's lived up to the billing, averaging 23.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, leading all Big 12 players in scoring.
Those two stars joined Richie Saunders, already a major contributor at BYU last season. He's now wildly overqualified as a third option, thriving as a floor spacing shooter. Saunders takes nearly seven 3s per game and hits at a 42% clip, totaling 19.1 points per game.
This three-headed offensive monster gives head coach Kevin Young plenty to play with, producing a top-10 offense. The Cougars are absolutely getting their money's worth at 14-1, with the lone loss coming to UConn by two points on a neutral floor.
Utah Basketball
Like BYU and Young, Utah is now led by a former NBA assistant coach, Alex Jensen. Jensen was a key cog on the Utah team that reached the 1998 National Championship game, returning to his alma mater with plans for a rebuild. Utah hasn't played an NCAA Tournament game since 2016.
That's an uphill task when you aren't fighting with the money cannon that's been set up at BYU. Jensen brought in a handful of transfers, none of which ranked in EvanMiya's top 200.
To date, one of those transfers has worked out beautifully. Terrence Brown led the NEC in scoring last season at Fairleigh Dickinson and hasn't missed a beat. He's dropping 21.4 points per game as a high-volume dribble-driver.
Utah's issues have come on the other end of the floor. The Utes don't have a rotation player bigger than 6-foot-9, and it shows. There's a clear lack of rim protection, a concerning thought for a team built on the analytical principles of keeping teams inside the 3-point line.
Utah forces a bottom 20 3-point rate in the country, but once opponents are forced to make a play inside the arc, they've found little resistance.
BYU vs. Utah Betting Analysis
BYU is miles better than Utah, which is reflected in the spread here.
For me, that number is just too high when taking the road team in a heated rivalry game.
That's especially true given each team's most recent performance. Utah limps home after making just five 3s on the road in a limp loss at Colorado. BYU shot 14-of-31 from deep in a home rout of Arizona State, coasting to 104 points.
I have major questions about Utah's defense slowing down this BYU attack, especially in the paint. Yet I also can't lay 14.5 points with the road team in the Holy War.
Utah will find a way to keep this game ugly and cover.
My Pick: Utah +14 or Better
