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For one season, everything in Provo ran through AJ Dybantsa. He led the country in scoring at 25.5 points per game and went No. 1 in the NBA Draft. Even with all that talent, BYU finished 9-9 in the Big 12, and Texas sent the Cougars home in the first round.

Now Robert Wright III leads the offense, and Kevin Young had to fight to keep him. Wright entered the transfer portal in April, visited Kentucky, and then decided to come back to Provo. Big 12 coaches made him a unanimous preseason all-conference pick, and Young has called him the best point guard in college basketball.

The roster around him was built to shoot. Collin Chandler (Kentucky), Tyler Betsey (Syracuse) and Jake Wahlin (Clemson) all arrived through the portal, and five-star freshman Bruce Branch III is Young’s next projected lottery pick. The biggest late addition was Michigan State big man Jaxon Kohler, who was cleared for a fifth season by a California court last week. BYU opens at No. 25 in the AP poll and was picked sixth in the Big 12 coaches’ poll.

We break down BYU’s 2026-27 odds, futures, win total prediction, and the best sportsbook promos ahead of the season. Basketball season is the perfect time to get into betting, as bet365 offers new users a special promo: Bet $10, get $200 win or lose!

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BYU Cougars odds for the 2026-27 season

Where to bet on the BYU Cougars

Here are some of the current sportsbook welcome offers to consider when comparing legal betting sites. Promotions change frequently and depend on state eligibility.

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BYU Cougars Big 12 win total prediction

Whoever built the Big 12 schedule did BYU a big favor.

Kansas State, Utah, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati and West Virginia all have to come to the Marriott Center this winter. Those six teams went a combined 35-73 in league play last season. The Cougars went 14-3 at home a year ago, and if they protect that building again, the Over is mostly taken care of before they ever board a plane.

The road schedule is rough. Six of BYU’s nine conference road games come against teams that made last year’s NCAA Tournament, and the Cougars still haven’t beaten Houston since joining the Big 12. They don’t need to steal much, though. A split of the trips to Colorado, UCF, Arizona State and Utah would put them right around 10 wins.

There are real questions on defense, and some national voices have been pretty harsh about whether this group can get stops. I’m not ready to write them off. Wahlin graded out as one of the best defenders in the country at Clemson, Branch is long and active, and Wright won’t have to carry the entire offense this time, which should let him spend more energy on the other end.

The price implies about a 60% chance, and I’d put BYU closer to 65%. I’ll lay it.

BYU best futures bets for 2026-27

The schedule that makes me like the over is the same one that makes this a pass. BYU visits Arizona, Houston, Iowa State and Texas Tech, four of the five teams the coaches picked ahead of them, and also sees the Wildcats a second time in Provo. Winning a title means going through all of that with a defense that still has a lot to prove. I’ll leave this one alone and stick with the win total.

This is a pass for me, even though there’s a version of this team that could get hot at the right time.

Young has had BYU taking around 25 3-pointers a game in his first two seasons, and this roster looks built to push that number past 30. A team that lets it fly that much can beat just about anyone for one night, and four of those nights in March is all it takes to reach the Final Four. Young has already shown he can make a run, too. He took BYU to the Sweet 16 in his first season.

The frontcourt is what keeps me off it. Kohler is the only proven big man on the roster, and the NCAA has said it will appeal the ruling that made him eligible. If that decision flips, BYU is left leaning on 7-1 Petar Ostojic and a thin group inside, and that’s a tough way to survive a tournament weekend against teams that pound the glass.

Twenty-nine teams are shorter than BYU in this market at DraftKings. The implied probability is about 4.2%, and I’d want a much bigger number for a team with that many questions in the paint.

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BYU NCAA championship odds

History is working against this one.

BYU has never been to a Final Four, and the program hasn’t reached the Elite Eight since 1981. Last year’s team had the No. 1 overall pick, was ranked eighth in the preseason poll and still lost to Texas in the first round as a No. 6 seed. That loss dropped the Cougars to 17-36 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

This group might be more balanced than that one, with shooting all over the floor and a point guard who can take over a game. Winning six straight against tournament teams is a different ask, though, and it usually takes a defense you can count on when shots stop falling. BYU hasn’t shown it has that yet.

Somebody has to take the shots Dybantsa left behind, and it’s going to be Wright.

He was already productive as the No. 2 option, putting up 18.1 points and 4.6 assists per game while hitting 41% of his 3s. Now he’s the clear first option on a roster loaded with shooters. Chandler hit 46% of his 3s in SEC play at Kentucky, Betsey shot 44% from deep against ACC teams, and Kohler can pull bigs away from the rim. Driving lanes should open up for Wright all season.

Wooden voters usually reward guys who win, and that’s the biggest hurdle here. BYU starts at No. 25, and Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. is the +850 favorite. FanDuel also has Wright at the same price as Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year.

That said, 45-1 is a long price for a point guard who could realistically average 23 or 24 points if BYU plays fast. I’ll take a small piece.

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BYU schedule analysis

The nonconference slate is lighter on travel than last year’s, but there are still plenty of chances to build a resume. BYU opens against Ohio State at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Nov. 2 and heads to the Maui Invitational over Thanksgiving week. That field includes Arizona, Clemson, Ole Miss, Providence, Washington, VCU and Colorado State.

December brings Northwestern back to the Delta Center on Dec. 5 and the renewed rivalry with Utah State at the Marriott Center on Dec. 9. The Cougars then head to Palm Springs to face San Diego State on Dec. 19. Omaha, Queens, Montana State, Northern Colorado, Cal State Fullerton, Weber State and La Salle round out the nonconference schedule.

Big 12 play opens at Arizona State on Jan. 2, and January is the toughest month. BYU visits Arizona on Jan. 12, Iowa State on Jan. 20 and Houston on Jan. 30, with Kansas coming to Provo on Jan. 9. The rivalry games with Utah fall on Jan. 16 at home and Feb. 6 in Salt Lake City. The regular season ends with a Friday night trip to Texas Tech on March 5.

For anyone holding the Over, I’d circle the stretch from Feb. 13 to March 2. BYU hosts Kansas State, TCU, Arizona and Oklahoma State and goes to Colorado and UCF in that span. Win five of those six, and the Cougars should be at nine or 10 wins before they ever get to Lubbock.

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