VCU vs. BYU Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats for 2025 March Madness First Round
Thursday afternoon in Denver the No. 11 VCU Rams (28-6) take the court against the No. 6 Cougars of BYU (24-9). VCU won the A-10 Tournament while BYU was waxed in the Big 12 Tournament to Houston 74-54.
VCU can score points as well, but their offense is not as potent. The Rams rely on a relentless push to rebound the basketball and limit their opponent to one shot. They average 23.6 defensive rebounds per game.
BYU's loss to Houston was startling in that the Cougars' offense scored just 54 points. They had scored no fewer than 77 points in their previous eight games. This is an offense that averages 10.7 made three-pointers per game. Richie Saunders leads the Cougars in scoring averaging 16 points per game.
The winner of this game earns the right to take on the winner of Montana vs. Wisconsin Saturday.
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025
Time: 4:05PM EST
Site: Ball Arena
City: Denver, CO
Network/Streaming: TNT
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of BetMGM:
Odds: VCU Rams (+125), BYU Cougars (-155)
Spread: Cougars -2.5
Total: 145.5 points
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's Rams & Cougars game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the VCU Rams +2.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 145.5.
VCU is riding a 3-game win streak, but they are just 1-2 against the spread in those 3
VCU is 19-9-2 against the spread for the season
BYU is 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games, but 1-2 ATS in their last 3 games
BYU is 18-12-1 to the OVER for the season
If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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