UC Riverside Highlanders vs BYU Cougars Prediction, 12/13/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UC Riverside Highlanders vs BYU Cougars

Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025

Location: Marriott Center in Provo, UT

TV: ESPN+

The UC Riverside Highlanders (5-5) are hitting the road to Marriott Center on Saturday where they will compete against the BYU Cougars (8-1).

The UC Riverside Highlanders faced off with Cal Poly and took home the win by a score of 88-84 in their last game. UC Riverside walked away from the game having earned a 54.0% FG percentage (34 out of 63) and buried 4 out of their 18 shots from beyond the perimeter. At the free throw line, the Highlanders converted 16 of their 24 tries for a rate of 66.7%. In regard to hauling in boards, they compiled 30 with 9 of them being of the offensive variety. They also distributed 8 dimes for the game while forcing the opposition into 11 turnovers and earning 3 steals. When discussing the defense, UC Riverside allowed the other team to shoot 47.4% from the floor on 27 out of 57 shooting. Cal Poly earned 12 dimes and had 2 steals for this game. Additionally, Cal Poly snagged 32 boards (9 offensive, 23 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. Cal Poly finished the game at 80.8% at the free throw line by converting 21 of 26 tries. They also knocked down 9 of their 29 tries from beyond the perimeter. In the matter of personal fouls, the Highlanders walked away with 25 while Cal Poly recorded 18 personal fouls.

Andrew Henderson is one player who came through in this game. He finished shooting 52.6% from the floor but wasn't able to get a dime. He was on the hardwood for 38 mins and also grabbed 9 boards. He finished with 28 points on 10 of 19 shooting.

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UC Riverside will take the court with a win-loss record of 5-5 this year. They average 74.8 points per contest (241st in college) while hitting 46.6% from the field. The Highlanders are shooting 33.3% on three-point shots (71 of 213) and 73.1% from the free throw line. As a team, UC Riverside is pulling down 35.2 boards per contest and has 122 dimes for the campaign, which is 284th in college in terms of passing the ball. They turn it over 13.2 times per contest and as a team are committing 17.4 fouls every game.

On the defensive end, the Highlanders have forced 10.8 turnovers per game while drawing 18.1 fouls. They are giving up 32.3% on shots from downtown and they are ranked 195th in college in points per game allowed (73.6). The Highlanders defense is allowing a FG percentage of 44.9% (267 of 594) and they concede 33.8 rebounds per contest as a unit. They are 149th in Division 1 in allowing assists to their opponents with 122 relinquished this season.

When they last stepped on the court, the BYU Cougars walked away with a victory by a final of 67-64 when they played Clemson. In relation to rebounds, BYU allowed Clemson to grab 31 in total (14 on the offensive side). They finished 31.0% from distance by hitting 9 of 29 and finished the contest at 13 out of 15 from the free throw line (86.7%). The Cougars allowed Clemson to convert 21 out of their 58 attempts from the floor which had them shooting 36.2% for the matchup. When all was said and done, the Cougars finished the game shooting 25 out of 62 from the floor which gave them a rate of 40.3%. Regarding shots from beyond the arc, BYU converted 5 of their 23 attempts (21.7%). They were able to make 12 of those for a clip of 85.7%. Clemson was called for 14 fouls in this matchup which took the Cougars to the free throw line for 14 attempts. They coughed up the ball 9 times, while getting 8 steals in the matchup. The Cougars were able to corral 17 defensive boards and 12 offensive boards for a total of 29 in this matchup.

AJ Dybantsa was important for the Cougars in this game. He had 28 points in his 34 mins of playing time and added 6 dimes for this contest. He made 9 of 17 in the matchup for a field goal percentage of 52.9%, and accumulated 9 rebounds.

BYU has a win-loss record of 8-1 on the campaign. The Cougars are committing 15.2 personal fouls every game and they connect on 77.1% from the free throw line. They are earning an assist 14.1 times per game (203rd in college) and they cough up possession 9.4 times per contest. BYU has accounted for 749 points on the year (83.2 per contest) and they pull down 38.9 rebounds per game. When it comes to offensive execution, the Cougars are hitting on 48.4% from the floor, which ranks 69th in the nation.

The Cougars on the defensive end are ranked 69th in college in points per game surrendered with 67.6. They are forcing 12.1 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 39.9% from the floor (60th in college hoops). The BYU defense gives up 31.5% on shots from behind the 3-point line (74 of 235) and opponents are connecting on 64.1% of their free throw shots. They relinquish 11.8 assists and 34.6 boards per contest, which ranks them 82nd and 183rd in those categories on the defensive end.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take UC Riverside

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