NCAA Basketball Odds & Prediction: Will Arizona Bounce Back Against BYU After Dropping From No. 1?

The bad part about being on top of the rankings for as long as Arizona was is that the rest of the country just has that much longer to knock you off your perch. Once you get to the top, there is only one way to go—down. After losing two in a row last week, that’s what happened to the Wildcats.

So, the question now is how long it will take them to bounce back. Can they do it today against No. 23 BYU? The Cougars gave the Wildcats a good run for their money just a couple of weeks ago, but Arizona pulled it out in the end, 86-83.

(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

No. 23 BYU Cougars vs. No. 4 Arizona Wildcats Preview & Prediction

While Arizona is in need of a win after getting kicked in the teeth in two straight games, a win may be of even more importance to BYU.

Breaking down the the Cougars

The Cougars got off to a solid start this season, going 16-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big 12, and the loss was to No. 3 UConn in the fourth game of the season, 86-84. That counts as a loss, but it’s still encouraging.

However, once they got to the heart of their conference schedule, things got tough. BYU took its first conference loss against No. 15 Texas Tech, 84-71, on Jan. 17. But after bouncing back with a win over Utah, 91-78, it proceeded to lose four in a row.

BYU is battle-tested heading into Wednesday's game

In fairness, those losses were in competitive games to No. 1 Arizona (86-83), No. 14 Kansas (90-82), Oklahoma State (99-92), and No. 8 Houston (77-66). So, they didn’t necessarily play poorly, the Cougars were just facing some of the best teams the conference and nation have to offer.

They have since won two in a row, vs. Baylor (99-94) and Colorado (90-86 OT). But, while wounded and down, No. 4 Arizona is on a different level than Baylor and Colorado. Is BYU up to the challenge this time around?

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Breaking Down The Wildcats

The assumption most of us had was that the Wildcats would bounce back from their loss to Kansas when they faced Texas Tech. They even opened as 10.5-point favorites against the visiting Red Raiders. However, confidence may have been waning already since the line shifted to 8.5-points before closing.

True to their defensive roots, Texas Tech put up a heck of a fight, forcing the game to overtime before eventually winning by three, 78-75.

Arizona lost star freshman Koa Peat to an injury in the second half, but it is not like the Wildcats are hurting for star power with the talent and depth on the roster. Whether his absence turned the tide, we’ll never know for sure, but a player of his caliber will certainly be missed against a solid team like BYU.

BYU vs. Arizona Odds: My Prediction

• BYU +12.5 at -118 (DraftKings)

Both teams are dealing with injuries—Koa Peat and Dwayne Aristode for Arizona while BYU just lost Richie Saunders for the season. I don’t think Arizona has figured out what to do without Peat, yet, but the Wildcats still have enough talent to win this game. However, while Saunders has been a solid contributor on the scoreboard this season for the Cougars, I don’t think BYU will have a tough time adjusting to his absence.

Like the first game, BYU will put up a fight and make Arizona work for it. The Wildcats will bounce back and win, but not by more than 10.