Villanova Wildcats vs. BYU Cougars, Odds, Prediction and Picks for Monday, November 3, 2025
Use Code SSWC A pair of power conference schools kick off their seasons at the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas, and we are breaking things down, then dropping our Villanova vs. BYU predictions to get you ready. The Wildcats (21-15 SU, 18-18 ATS last season) have hit the reset button after missing the Big Dance for a third straight year. The 8th-ranked Cougars (26-10 SU, 22-14 ATS last season) come in with sky-high expectations after back-to-back tourney runs. The opening tipoff from T-Mobile Arena is scheduled for 9:30 EST. Need more quality College basketball predictions? This is the ultimate site for basketball winners.
Villanova starting anew
Last season, the Wildcats were able to eclipse 20 wins for the first time in three years and though they were 11-9 in conference play, a third straight NCAA Tournament miss led to the departure of head coach Kyle Neptune after three seasons.
There was a complete overhaul, with the program bringing in Kevin Willard as their new head coach after he took Maryland to the Sweet 16 last year. There are eight transfers and three freshmen who make up the team that was selected 7th in the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Tyler Perkins is the only returning player who saw any time with Villanova last season, averaging 6.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 25.8 minutes per game.
A strong transfer class should fit in well with Willard’s read-and-react offense. Duke Brennan adds some size to the mix. The 6-foot-10 Grand Canyon transfer averaged 10.4 points and 9.2 rebounds for the WAC champs last season. Devin Askew comes over from Long Beach State, where he started all 32 games last season and averaged 18.9 points per game. Zion Stanford is another transfer expected to contribute after he averaged 13.1 points at Temple last season.
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Team notes
- Saunders scored at least 23 points 10 times last season, including the final two games in the NCAA Tournament.
- Freshman Acaden Lewis was noted by SI.com as being an ‘impact starter’ among an extremely impressive class of first-year players.
- Got 38.7% of their scoring last season from three pointers, ranking 25th in the nation.
- Were 24th in the country in offensive efficiency (1.13) last year.
BYU thinking big
The first season of the Kevin Young era in Provo proved successful as they picked up three more wins than the season prior and took a step forward in the NCAA Tournament before losing in the regional semifinals.
The Cougars’ rim-and-three offense proved highlight efficient, averaging 81.5 points per game last season, 23rd in the country, while shooting 37% from three-point range, 37th overall. Top scorer Richie Saunders returns to the fold after averaging 16.5 points and hitting 79 threes. He was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, and the team was projected to finish second in the conference in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Their prize pickup from the transfer portal is a familiar face in former Baylor guard Robert Wright III, who will fill the gap at point guard left by Egor Demin’s departure to the NBA. Wright was the eighth-ranked transfer talent after scoring 11.5 points last season while adding 4.2 assists per game. Shooting 35.2% from three-point range, he should sit in Young’s offensive scheme very well. AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Massachusetts, is one of the top freshmen in the land and expected to make a massive impact for the team.
Team notes
- Wright was a Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection last season.
- com has Dybantsa projected as the second overall pick in next year’s NBA Draft.
- Ranked 12th in the nation in offensive efficiency (1.15) last season.
- The team was seventh in the country in effective field goal percentage, shooting 57%.
Villanova vs. BYU Picks
Spread Pick for Villanova vs. BYU
- BYU -8.5 (5 units)
This is just the fourth meeting ever between the teams and Villanova has a 2-1 SU advantage in the head-to-head. The Wildcats are entering a new era and are in a perfect position to fly under the radar and sneak up on some teams. Willard has a proven track record of success, and they’ve brought in a ton of viable pieces to try and get this program back to a Big Dance contender every season. However, there will be some early growing pains for this group. There are just far too many players coming to too many different programs trying to learn an entirely new system. BYU is poised to get rolling right out of the gate. Saunders is going to do well to lead things once again. Dybantsa scored 30 points on 10-19 shooting in a preseason exhibition versus Nebraska, so I don’t expect the much-hyped freshman to come out slowly either.
Take the Cougars giving the points.
Over/Under Pick for Villanova vs. BYU
- Over 154.5 (5 units)
This matchup features a BYU side that averaged 81.5 points per game last season. Villanova averaged just 74 points per game, but they have all new personnel and a new offensive system in place which had Maryland averaging 81.1 points per game last season. We know that the Cougars are going to look to launch shots from deep when they are open and ‘Nova is going to look to respond in kind. KenPom had BYU ranked 170th overall in tempo and 9th in adjusted offense last season. Villanova ranked 351st in tempo, but the Williard-run Maryland offense ranked 23rd overall. The Wildcats’ new offense is going to be more exciting than last season, and they now have options if something isn’t working.
Take the over.
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