The 268th iteration of the Holy War on the hardcourt goes down Saturday in Provo as the No. 13 BYU Cougars host the rival Utah Utes.
Although the Cougars were tested in a close 89-84 win at the Huntsman Center in the first meeting of the year, the table is set for a wider margin of victory in the rematch.
I’m backing the home team with my Utah vs. BYU predictions and college basketball picks for Saturday, January 24.
Utah vs BYU prediction
Utah vs BYU best bet: BYU -18.5 (-110)
The BYU Cougars are a legitimate threat in the Big 12.
The starting lineup features three players — AJ Dybansta, Richie Saunders, and Robert Wright — averaging 20 ppg in league play, and they’re a well-coached unit under rising star Kevin Young.
BYU fumbled the bag last time out, falling 71-84 on the road against a fearsome Texas Tech squad. No shame in that.
The Cougars should be highly motivated to get back on track quickly, returning home to face a rival, the Utah Utes, who kept the margin to five points during the January 10 meeting in Salt Lake.
The Utes have lost 12 consecutive road games, including their 78-81 loss to a winless Kansas State team in Big 12 play last time out.
They haven’t won in Provo in over a decade, notching their last Holy War victory on the road in 2014. Haslametrics has them at 208th in the Away From Home metric, and even that seems generous.
Utah has been a mess defensively, surrendering 86.5 ppg in Big 12 play.
The only opponent the Utes have held to fewer than 80 points was TCU, which still managed 79 despite ranking 112th in adjusted offensive efficiency.
BYU should get what it wants on offense, and the defense is sound.
The Cougars are the superior squad on both ends of the court and are in a strong motivational spot.
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Utah vs BYU same-game parlay
The Utes are on a prolonged Over streak, going 15-5 O/U in their last 15 games.
A moribund defense ranking 213th in adjusted efficiency (per KenPom) doesn’t stand a great chance of stopping a potent BYU offense averaging 86.6 ppg.
Big man Keba Keita is coming off his worst outing of the season, a 0-point clunker against Texas Tech.
This is a great comeback spot in a revenge game for Keita, who played for the Utes during his first two seasons in college.
Utah allows a ton of shots at the rim (323rd in near-proximity attempt rate, per Haslametrics), and that plays right into Keita’s specialty.
Utah vs BYU SGP
- BYU -18.5
- Over 167
- Keba Keita Over 8.5 points
Our beyond the arc SGP: Keba!
This revenge spot sets up favorably for Keita to have a solid overall game. Utah lacks physicality in the paint and struggles on the boards with a 49.2% rebounding percentage (221st).
Keita has gobbled up an average of 9.2 boards across his last nine games and is poised to exploit this weakness.
Utah vs BYU SGP
- BYU -18.5
- Over 167
- Keba Keita Over 8.5 points
- Keba Keita Over 8.5 rebounds
Utah vs BYU odds
- Spread: Utah +19.5 (-115) | BYU -19.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: Utah +1200 | BYU -3000
- Over/Under: Over 166.5 (-105) | Under 166.5 (-115)
Utah vs BYU betting trend to know
Utah has only covered the spread in 14 of its last 34 games. Find more college basketball betting trends for Utah vs. BYU.
How to watch Utah vs BYU
| Location | Marriott Center, Provo, UT |
| Date | Saturday, January 24, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 5:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | FOX |
Utah vs BYU key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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