BYU Cougars vs Kansas Jayhawks Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/31/2026

Game Time: 4:30 pm ET, Saturday, January 31, 2026

Venue:  Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  BYU +4.5, Kansas -4.5; Over/Under:  157.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  BYU +4.5, Kansas -4.5; Over/Under:  157.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  BYU +4.5, Kansas -4.5; Over/Under:  157.5 points

BYU Cougars:  17-3 (5-2) (5th place, Big 12)

Kansas Jayhawks:  15-5 (5-2) (6th place, Big 12)

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BYU Cougars:  3-2  last 5

Kansas Jayhawks:  4-1  last 5

BYU is entering this game with a 17-3 record overall, a 5-2 record in conference games, and they are 2-1 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Arizona Wildcats in their last game. AJ Dybantsa led the team in points in that game with 24 while Richie Saunders was next on the team with 18. AJ Dybantsa and Robert Wright each led the team in assists with 5 in that game while Richie Saunders led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 40.3% from the field, 38.2% from 3-point range, and 63.2% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 86.7 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 70.8 PPG against them. BYU has an ATS record of 9-11 this season and their O/U record is 9-11.

Kansas is entering this game with a 15-5 record overall, a 5-2 conference record, and they are 8-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Kansas State Wildcats in their last game. Flory Bidunga led the team in points in that game with 21 while Elmarko Jackson was next on the team with 19. Melvin Council Jr. led the team in assists with 12 in that game while Flory Bidunga led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 53.4% from the field, 25% from 3-point range, and 83.3% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 78.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 67.3 PPG against them. Kansas has an ATS record of 13-7 this season and their O/U record is 6-14.

The current betting odds have BYU listed as a 4.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. BYU has looked great in their games this season with their 17-3 record overall and their 5-2 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They have been a good road team so far too with their 2-1 road record this year. Meanwhile, Kansas has looked good in their games this season with their 15-5 record overall and their 5-2 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They have looked great on their home court too with their 8-1 home record this season. Kansas took a bad loss to West Virginia a few weeks ago and now they have been rolling with 4 wins in a row. They are off a road win over Kansas State in their last one, but other than their win over Iowa State, they have been beating up on bad teams lately. They didn't have the best start to the season either, and even though they have one of the best players in the nation on their team, they have struggled to compete with some of the best teams in the nation. BYU is supposed to be one of the best teams in the nation this season and they also have a game changing player who is supposed to be one of the best in the nation. They have struggled more recently as they are 3-2 in their last 5 games and are off a home loss to Arizona in their last one, but they managed to make that a really close game in the end and they will be looking to bounce back here. BYU has the talent to win this game outright on the road, especially with the way Kansas has been really up and down this year. The best way to place a bet here is on BYU to cover the spread in this game. 

BYU Kansas Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, January 31, 2026 (4:30 pm ET start time) is BYU 77 Kansas 74.

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BYU Cougars: 24-16 ATS when the total is 150 to 159.5. 29-19 ATS versus teams who are called for 17 or less fouls/game. 30-21 ATS versus good shooting teams - making 45% of their shots or more. 7-4 UNDER versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game. 7-4 UNDER versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 4+ per game.

Kansas Jayhawks: 4-17 ATS after scoring 85 points or more. 5-14 ATS versus up-tempo teams averaging 62 or more shots/game. 5-12 ATS after 3 or more consecutive wins. 23-15 UNDER as a home favorite or pick. 20-6 UNDER when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 80%).

BYU Cougars:  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.

Kansas Jayhawks:  D. Peterson (G) Probable - Ankle. W. Thengvall (G) Questionable - Undisclosed.

"Rob's a gamer. You know, we saw it in the Garden. I trust him in those moments. Quite frankly, him and AJ, neither one of them had really had it going. But those are our guys and we're going to ride or die with them...the first option was to get AJ the ball. They clogged the area we were trying to get to, and we got the ball in Rob's hands to try to make a play." - Kevin Young on the final play of the game in his team’s loss against Arizona in their last game. 

“I anticipate him being ready to go.” - Bill Self on Darryn Peterson playing against BYU this weekend.

K. Davis 

A. Dybantsa 

K. Keita 

R. Saunders 

R. Wright

F. Bidunga 

M. Council 

D. Peterson 

B. Tiller 

T. White

PPG: AJ Dybantsa (23.6)

APG: Robert Wright III (5.2)

Reb/G: Keba Keita (7.8)

PPG: Darryn Peterson (21.6)

APG: Melvin Council Jr. (5.2)

Reb/G: Flory Bidunga (9)

Coaches:

BYU Cougars: Kevin Young (2nd season)

Kansas Jayhawks: Bill Self (23rd season)