BYU vs. LMU Prediction, Odds, Line, Spread, and Picks - January 5

The BYU Cougars (12-5) will visit the Loyola Marymount Lions (11-5) in a late-night WCC matchup.

BYU has won seven straight since losing back-to-back home games in early December. They most recently took down the Portland Pilots, who were down three of their best players. Senior forward Gideon George had 20 points and nine rebounds on 47% from the field. WCC All-Freshman Fousseyni Traore dropped 12 points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes of action. Leading scorer Rudi Williams played more of a facilitator's role, dishing out four dimes while only taking three shots in the win.

BYU vs. LMU Betting Odds

Team	Spread	Total	Money Line
BYU Cougars	+1.5	o143.5	-105
LMU Lions	-1.5	u143.5	-115

Odds are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook

Risk-free first bet up to $1000

Loyola Marymount's three-game winning streak was snapped by Pacific 78-72 last Saturday. Former WCC All-Freshman guard Jalin Anderson tied a season-high with 20 points while leading scorer Cameron Shelton had 14 points on 5-of-15 from the floor. Four-year contributor Keli Leaupepe struggled with efficiency in the loss, scoring seven points on a 2-of-7 shooting performance.

ShotQuality Tale of the Tape

Below, we will highlight essential ShotQuality data for this matchup, including Adjusted Offensive and Defensive SQ, strengths, weaknesses, and frequency. SQppp is a player's average ShotQuality points per possession.

Thus, SQppp = Total SQpoints/Total No. of Possessions.

The BYU Cougars own a 1.03 AdjOFF SQ this season, good for 124th in the nation. Loyola Marymount has the 149th-best AdjDEF SQ at 1.00. Brigham Young does well in all key stats but in open three rate, where they rank 287th in the country. Conversely, the Lions are in the 49th percentile or worse in defensive spacing, shot making, and shot selection but are 125th in defensive open three rate.

The Cougars own high-frequency numbers in transition, P&R ball screen, catch-and-shoot three-pointers, off-the-dribble three-pointers, and post-up shot types. They are in the top 150 in all those shot types except in transition, with a 1.25 SQ PPP (250th in the country), and post-up, with a 0.86 SQ PPP (208th). Conversely, the Lions are in the bottom 150 in all those categories except in the pick & roll, where they rank 129th.

The Loyola Marymount Lions have a 1.07 AdjOFF SQ, the 61st-best mark in the country. Brigham Young has posted a 0.92 AdjDEF SQ this season, clocking in at 28th in the country. The Lions are in the top 100 in rim and three rate, shot selection, spacing, and shot-making. The Cougars are in the top 150 in rim and three rate, shot selection, and spacing but in the 63rd percentile in defensive shot-making.

Loyola is in the country's top half in frequency regarding the following shot types: transition, P&R ball screen, off-screen, isolation, finishing at the rim, catch & shoot three-pointers, and off-the-dribble three-pointers. BYU, on the other hand, is in the top 120 in defending all those shot types except in transition and defending off-the-dribble three-pointers.

BYU vs. LMU Prediction

BYU matches up well against LMU, and ShotQuality suggests they should be able to go on the road and snag a win over their WCC foe. They defend well against what the Lions try and do on the offensive end, while the size of the Cougars should represent problems for LMU. So ride with Brigham Young to take care of business on the road in Los Angeles.