The Kansas Jayhawks take on the BYU Cougars in Provo, Utah. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
BYU is favored by 3 points on the spread with a moneyline of -155. The total is set at 148.5 points.
Here’s my Kansas vs. BYU predictions and college basketball picks for February 18, 2025.
Kansas vs BYU Prediction
My Pick: BYU -2.5 (Play to -4)
My Kansas vs BYU best bet is on the Cougars spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Kansas vs BYU Odds, Lines
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -110 | 148.5 -110 / -110 | +130 |
| BYU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -110 | 148.5 -110 / -110 | -155 |
- Kansas vs BYU spread: BYU -3
- Kansas vs BYU over/under: 148.5 points
- Kansas vs BYU moneyline: BYU -155, Kansas +130
- Kansas vs BYU best bet: BYU -2.5 (Play to -4)
My Kansas vs BYU NCAAB Betting Preview
Alarm bells are sounding in Lawrence. The Jayhawks haven’t cleared 74 points in five straight games and have posted a 1-6 record ATS at the window in their past seven.
The last time Kansas went into a deep freeze on the offensive end like this was in 2021. That Jayhawk team was buoyed by the 12th-rated defense, according to KenPom.
In the eyes of advanced metrics sites like Bart Torvik, Evan Miya and Haslametrics, Kansas is even better on the defensive end this season than it was in 2021. However, it’s not translating to wins, so what gives?
Kansas struggles to shoot consistently from the perimeter, and that’s despite Zeke Mayo catching fire from long range. If you remove Mayo’s recent heater — 21-for-39 across his last six — Kansas’ shooting woes come into focus.
His teammates have shot 29% from long range during that stretch, and Rylan Griffen is a rotational player at this point.
The Alabama transfer was Bill Self’s perimeter answer out of the portal, but after shooting close to 40% from deep last season in Tuscaloosa, Griffen now finds himself mired in a shooting slump.
Now the Jayhawks are drawing one of the best offenses in the Big 12 on their home floor. The Cougars are 5-2 both straight up and against the spread at the Marriott Center in conference play.
They just ran the hottest team in America (Kansas State) off the floor on Saturday. That 15-point dismantling of the Wildcats was a defensive masterclass and should give them confidence heading into this pivotal Tuesday night meeting with Kansas.
When you dissect BYU’s defense, it really comes down to the 3-point arc. The Cougars allow teams to bomb away (25 3PA, 306th) and those attempts are often good looks, evidenced by the rate at which they’re falling (35%, 244th).
Teams like Houston and Texas Tech beat BYU by sticking with the 3-point shot, but Kansas has been reticent to shoot 3s at volume.
This offsets BYU’s fatal flaw and gives it a chance to continue this low-scoring streak for Kansas.
I would play the Cougs all the way to -4 on their home floor.
