The Montana State Bobcats (1-1) and No. 23 BYU Cougars (3-0) meet Thursday at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. Tip time will be 9 p.m. ET. Let's analyze NCAA basketball odds around the Montana State vs. BYU odds and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions for the best bets.
Montana State defeated the -10.5 Long Beach State Beach 83-70 (Over 145.5) Saturday in their home opener. The Bobcats shot 51.7% from the field and won the rebounding battle 39-23. F Jeremiah Davis posted 17 points and 10 rebounds, while G Jed Miller added 14 points in his season debut. The victory marked a bounce-back after a 10-point loss to the Colorado State Rams in the Nov. 2 season opener.
BYU defeated +28.5 Queens (NC) Royals 98-82 Tuesday, getting
21 points and 6 assists from G Robert Wright III. The Cougars made 17 triples, including 12 in the first half, and placed 5 players in double figures for a third consecutive game. BYU has scored 94 or more points in all 3 contests this season. It has won 28 straight non-conference games
BYU leads the all-time series against Montana State 37–27, but this is the first meeting since 1987.
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Montana State at BYU odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:30 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Montana State +2200 (bet $100 to win $2,200 | BYU -10000 (bet $10,000 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Montana State +23.5 (-110) | BYU -23.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): Over 164.5 (-115) | Under 164.5 (-105)
Montana State at BYU picks and predictions
Prediction
BYU 89, Montana State 70
Moneyline
No interest; PASS.
Against the spread
MSU is 2-0 ATS this season, and last November the Bobcats went 5-1 ATS across 6 lined games.
This game is a Quad I affair for Montana State; it went 3-0 ATS in 3 such games last November. The Bobcats' perimeter attack and ability to take care of the basketball give them a reasonable opportunity to remain competitive in this tussle at BYU.
The Cougars are also playing their second game in 3 days. They faltered in a couple quick-turnaround situations in the 2025-26 regular season.
BACK MONTANA STATE +23.5 (-110).
Over/Under
BYU plays an up-tempo style, but the foe they'll see in this one is the slowest they have played yet this fall. And the Bobcats typically take care of the ball, so the Cougars may not get some of the turnover-fed transition they have gotten while cranking out 2 Overs and a near-miss Under through 3 games.
We shouldn't expect an over-abundance of second-chance or free-throw points either. Triples may be a different story, but the UNDER 164.5 (-105) is the value end of this one.
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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: Montana State Bobcats at BYU Cougars odds, picks and predictions
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