Ohio State vs. BYU Prediction, Men's College Basketball Odds & Best Bets (11/2)

Fact checked at 8:48 AM ET, Nov 2, 2026

Odds as of 8:46 AM ET, Nov 2, 2026

Ohio State and No. 25 BYU open the season at 9:00 PM ET on FS1 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. It's a neutral floor on paper, but BYU's campus is about 40 miles away and one Ohio State fan site expects plenty of Cougar fans in the building. We think BYU's shooters win a fast, loose opener, something like 85-79, so we're on BYU to win and the Over.

Both rosters were rebuilt: BYU has 10 newcomers around point guard Robert Wright III, and Ohio State has nine around John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum. Neither team has played a real game yet, so all we have is last season's numbers for the players who are still here, two exhibitions each and what the coaches have said. Mobley, Ohio State's leading returning scorer, rolled his ankle late in the final exhibition, hadn't practiced on the latest report and is still uncertain.

Ohio State vs. BYU Predictions

• Pick #1: BYU Moneyline (-162)
• Pick #2: Over 160.5 (-105)

PICK #1: BYU Moneyline (-162)

BYU built this roster around shooting, and it starts with Wright, who made 41% of his threes last season while averaging 18.1 points. Collin Chandler, back home after two years at Kentucky, shot 41% from three last season and 46% in SEC play. Tyler Betsey shot nearly 41% last season, and center Jaxon Kohler is a stretch five who pulls the opposing big away from the rim. "We have a lot of guys that can punish you because we have so many guys who can shoot the basketball," Kevin Young said. Jake Diebler saw the same thing on film: "you've got really four or five guys that are capable of having a big night offensively."

Ohio State hasn't solved the glass. The Buckeyes were outrebounded by a combined 19 in their two exhibitions, a 79-68 loss to Cincinnati and an 82-73 win over Butler, and Diebler said it plainly: "We've got to rebound better." Freshman Anthony Thompson, expected to start at small forward, scored seven points across those two games. And if Mobley sits or is limited, Ohio State loses a 15.7-point scorer who made 41% of his threes last season.

At -162 you need BYU to win 61.8% of the time, and that's a real price for a team nobody has seen play for real. One preseason rating has Ohio State 15 spots higher, the Buckeyes were picked eighth in the Big Ten, and Dawson Baker, one of BYU's best shooters, didn't play in the preseason while he works back from a knee injury. We'll still take the shooters and a building that should sound like Provo, though if Mobley plays full minutes, this gets closer.

PICK #2: Over 160.5 (-105)

If BYU wins the way we expect, this should clear. BYU played faster than most teams last season, in the 80th percentile in pace on one measure, and Diebler said BYU's versatility lets it "play with some pace." Ohio State thinks it can run more now that four-year captain and primary ballhandler Bruce Thornton is gone and Cal transfer Justin Pippen is expected in the backcourt. Diebler also wants to use his depth to "wear people down" with 10 or 11 players.

Neither defense looked finished in the preseason. BYU has no true rim protector, UNLV's guards got into the paint far too often in the exhibition, and Sebastian Mack scored 26. That's where Ohio State scores: Bynum had 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting against Butler and went 7-for-7 at the line. BYU also pressed for long stretches and forced 18 turnovers in each exhibition, and Ohio State had more turnovers than assists in its two. That means extra possessions, and so do offensive rebounds, which both teams have given up: UNLV outrebounded BYU 41-34.

The -105 price implies a 51.2% chance. The risk is the shooting itself: BYU took 66 threes in its two exhibitions and made only 30%. Ohio State's pace in the preseason also didn't look much different from past seasons.

21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.