The BYU Cougars take on the Utah Utes. Check out our college basketball odds series for our BYU Utah prediction and pick. Find how to watch BYU Utah.

The in-state basketball rivalry between BYU and Utah is always spicy and contentious. These schools don't like each other and it's always an intense fight when the Cougars and Utes meet. However, this year's game packs more of a wallop. Both teams have started their seasons well and have legitimate NCAA Tournament aspirations. BYU has souped up its offense from a season ago. The Cougars love to push the pace and shoot 3-pointers. They can score in bunches and do not make it easy for opponents to defend them at all five spots on the floor. Coach Mark Pope watched last season's team languish. He made adjustments in both style of play and roster construction, and those changes have paid off thus far after the first five weeks of the season. BYU scored an early-season win over San Diego State — last season's national runner-up — and hasn't looked back since.

Utah, under coach Craig Smith, looks tougher and more balanced this season. Last season, when Branden Carlson was injured, the Utes didn't really have a strong Plan B. They struggled to find secondary scorers and their offense generally bogged down. This season, the Utes are more balanced and are not as easy to defend. Utah has a more developed team which has different ways of winning and is more resilient in high-stress, high-leverage situations. An authoritative road win at Saint Mary's got everyone's attention, but Utah also played a competitive game against nationally-ranked Houston and has won the games it was supposed to win. The Utes really need this game for their NCAA Tournament resume, and based on the way they have competed so far this season, there's a reasonable chance they can mak a breakthrough here.

Here are the BYU-Utah College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: BYU-Utah Odds

BYU Cougars: -3.5 (-110)

Utah Utes: +3.5 (-110)

Over: 152.5 (-110)

Under: 152.5 (-110)

How To Watch BYU vs Utah

Time: 7:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm PT

TV: Pac-12 Network

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why BYU Could Cover the Spread

The BYU offense is relentless. It is not going to be easy for Utah to handle the Cougars' constant up-tempo, 3-point-shooting approach. The Cougars like to get a lot of threes up in the air. They buy into the idea that a higher volume of 3-point shots creates better offensive efficiency, part of the 21st-century trend in basketball analytics. BYU not only poses a genuinely tough test for its opponents, but a different kind of test compared to a lot of other teams across the country. In a game which is expected to have a lot of ups and downs, BYU's willingness to shoot the ball and collect a lot of possessions could pay dividends.

Why Utah Could Cover the Spread

The Utes have shown they are tough. Their win over Saint Mary's — a competitor of BYU in the West Coast Conference — offers strong evidence that they can compete with BYU on even terms and very possibly win outright. Yet, Utah can lose by three and still cover.

Final BYU-Utah Prediction & Pick

This is a rivalry game, which therefore makes it a good game to stay away from.

Final BYU-Utah Prediction & Pick: Utah +3.5