BYU Cougars vs Arizona Wildcats Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/18/2026

Game Time: 9:00 pm ET, Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Venue:  McKale Memorial Center, Tucson, AZ 

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  BYU +12.5, Arizona -12.5; Over/Under:  164.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  BYU +12.5, Arizona -12.5; Over/Under:  164.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  BYU +12.5, Arizona -12.5; Over/Under:  164.5 points

BYU Cougars:  19-6 (7-5) (6th place, Big 12)

Arizona Wildcats:  23-2 (10-2) (2nd place, Big 12)

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BYU Cougars:  2-3  last 5

Arizona Wildcats:  3-2  last 5

BYU is entering this game with a 19-6 record overall, a 7-5 record in conference games, and they are 3-3 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Colorado Buffaloes in their last game. Robert Wright III led the team in points in that game with 39 while AJ Dybantsa was next on the team with 20. AJ Dybantsa led the team in assists with 8 in that game while AJ Dybantsa led the team in rebounds with 13. They were 46.8% from the field, 50% from 3-point range, and 77.8% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 86.5 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 74.5 PPG against them. BYU has an ATS record of 10-15 this season and their O/U record is 13-12.

Arizona is entering this game with a 23-2 record overall, a 10-2 conference record, and they are 13-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in their last game. Brayden Burries and Tobe Awaka each led the team in points in that game with 16 while Ivan Kharchenkov was next on the team with 13. Jaden Bradley led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Tobe Awaka led the team in rebounds with 12. They were 39.3% from the field, 25% from 3-point range, and 74.2% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 88.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 68.6 PPG against them. Arizona has an ATS record of 14-10-1 this season and their O/U record is 13-12.

The current betting odds have Arizona listed as a 12.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Arizona has looked great in their games this season with their 23-2 record overall and their 10-2 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They have looked great on their home court too with their 13-1 home record this season. Meanwhile, BYU has looked good in their games this season with their 19-6 record overall and their 7-5 conference record which has them in the top half of the Big 12. They haven't been a great road team though with their 3-3 road record this year. BYU was expected to be a contender for the National Championship this season as they have one of the best players in the entire nation, but they have struggled a lot with the Big 12 schedule and haven't looked that great lately either. They are off a win over Colorado in their last one, but they needed OT to barely beat a bad Colorado team. They are also 2-3 in their last 5 games and they haven't looked good against any of the top teams in the Big 12 that they have faced lately. Arizona hasn't looked that great lately either, going 3-2 in their last 5 games with 2 losses in a row now, but those are also their first 2 losses of the season. They started the season 23-0 before losing those 2 games and they have looked like one of the best teams in the nation all year. Their losses weren't to bad opponents either, losing on the road against Kansas and coming off a home loss in OT against Texas Tech in their last one. Both of those were really close games too and they will be looking to bounce back on their home court now. Arizona already outplayed BYU on the road earlier this season, and now Arizona is going to have the home advantage here along with BYU missing a key player in their lineup. The best way to place a bet here is on Arizona to cover the spread in this game. 

BYU Arizona Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Wednesday, February 18, 2026 (9:00 pm ET start time) is Arizona 84 BYU 68.

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BYU Cougars: 4-9 ATS when the total is 160 to 169.5. 6-11 ATS after allowing 85 points or more. 2-5 ATS on the road revenging a loss vs opponent. 8-4 OVER as a road underdog or pick. 14-4 OVER off a home win against a conference rival. 

Arizona Wildcats: 29-19 ATS as a favorite of 10 or more points. 9-5 ATS off a loss against a conference rival. 27-15 ATS when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 80%). 26-18 OVER when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 80%). 25-18 OVER versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 4+ per game.

BYU Cougars:  R. Saunders (G) Out - Knee. X. Staton (C) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Perry (G) Out - Redshirt. D. Baker (G) Out - Knee. N. Pickens (G) Out - Undisclosed. B. Kozlowski (F) Out - Redshirt.

Arizona Wildcats:  D. Aristode (F) Questionable - Illness.

“I think it sucked the life out of the gym, if I’m being honest. You never want to see an injury to any player, but definitely [not] to someone who’s the heart and soul of our team [and] bleeds BYU blue. Just didn’t like seeing it.” - Kevin Young on the injury to Richie Saunders.

“We felt like we had opportunities, considering all the things that we’re kind of going through, but you just got to get it done.” - Tommy Lloyd after his team’s loss against Texas Tech in their last game. 

K. Davis 

A. Dybantsa 

K. Keita 

R. Saunders 

R. Wright

J. Bradley 

B. Burries 

I. Kharchenkov 

M. Krivas 

K. Peat

PPG: AJ Dybantsa (24.4)

APG: Robert Wright III (4.9)

Reb/G: Keba Keita (7.1)

PPG: Brayden Burries (15.7)

APG: Jaden Bradley (4.4)

Reb/G: Tobe Awaka (9.7)

Coaches:

BYU Cougars: Kevin Young (2nd season)

Arizona Wildcats: Tommy Lloyd (5th season)