A downright critical Big 12 clash takes place to cap off the Saturday college basketball slate. Anticipate an action-packed atmosphere at the Marriott Center in Provo, UT, when the Iowa State Cyclones take on the BYU Cougars.
Saturday night’s 10:30 p.m. tip on ESPN sees the No. 6 Cyclones hit the road to face the No. 23 Cougars. With one side right in the thick of the Big 12 race and the other looking to stay ranked, there’s plenty to play for this weekend.
Below, we’ll break down our Iowa State vs. BYU prediction and picks for Saturday night’s game. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
Statistical rankings used in this article are accurate entering Friday’s play.
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Iowa State vs. BYU Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
Year five with head coach T.J. Otzelberger at the helm is undoubtedly the best one yet for the Cyclones. Just a handful of seasons removed from going 2-22 in Steve Prohm’s final year, ISU is 23-3 overall and 10-3 in conference play. They entered the weekend one game back of Arizona and Houston for first place in the Big 12.
BYU, meanwhile, got off to a blazing 16-1 start in head coach Kevin Young’s second campaign. Since then, the Cougs are just 3-6 and have lost significant footing in the Big 12 race.
Saturday marks the 10th meeting between these two programs dating back to 1949. Iowa State owns a 6-3 series lead, including an average scoring margin of +3.3.
Iowa State vs. BYU Spread, Over/Under
Iowa State enters Saturday’s game as 12.5-point road favorites, returning a 1.49x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
BYU is a home underdog with a 2.38x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Iowa State Cyclones -12.5
- Over/Under: 155.5
- Game Winner Payout: Cyclones 1.49x | Cougars 2.38x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Iowa State vs. BYU Prediction on Spread
Here are some stats to know to help you make your Iowa State vs. BYU prediction on Saturday, February 21.
- This year, Iowa State is 3-3 against the spread as a road favorite. BYU has yet to play a home game as an underdog.
- Iowa State’s offense is one of the nation’s more efficient units, ranking 30th in per-game scoring (83.7 PPG), sixth in average margin of victory (+19.0), and 11th in effective field goal percentage (58.1).
- Defensively, the Cyclones restrict foes to just 64.6 PPG, good for seventh in the nation, and allow the 30th-fewest made field goals each night (23.3).
- Not to be totally outdone, BYU’s 85.8 PPG average sits 19th in the country, albeit with the 41st-ranked eFG% (55.4).
- On the other end of the court, Young’s crew ranks 116th in opponent shooting percentage (43.4) and 250th in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Iowa State vs. BYU Picks for PrizePicks Today: 2/21/26
Here are three top Iowa State vs. BYU picks to target for Saturday, February 21 on PrizePicks. Player stat projections via PrizePicks are headlined by F Milan Momcilovic, F Joshua Jefferson, and F AJ Dybantsa.
Iowa State F Milan Momcilovic vs. BYU Projection: 18 Points
- Momcilovic pours in exactly 18.0 points on average. That holds true, down to the decimal, in conference play. He’s a model of consistency.
- On a whopping 7.4 3-point attempts each night, the junior forward leads the country with a 51.3% conversion rate.
- Per Bart Torvik, Momcilovic’s 72.4 true shooting percentage ranks third among all players with a usage rate at least matching his mark of 18.7%.
- The Cougars allow 27.0 field goals made per game, sitting 251st nationally. They’re also 219th in average 3-pointers allowed at 8.0.
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Iowa State F Joshua Jefferson vs. BYU Projection: 27.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Twenty-six games into his senior campaign, Jefferson produces 29.2 combined points, rebounds, and assists per game. That number is 28.4 in Big 12 play.
- A group of 112 players standing 6-foot-9 or shorter can match Jefferson’s usage rate. On that list, he’s 10th in defensive rebounding rate at 20.6%.
- Jefferson’s 28.4% assist rate is 8.8% higher than his previous career-high figure of 19.6%, set last season.
- BYU cedes 34.2 rebounds and 14.5 assists per game, ranking 144th and 254th, respectively, on defense.
BYU F AJ Dybantsa vs. Iowa State Projection: 38.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- One of the game’s top freshmen, Dybantsa averages 35.2 points, rebounds, and assists. That’s up to 36.2 in Big 12 games, yet still not at the level of his projection here.
- Per CBB Shot Charts, Dybantsa has made half of his 3-pointers above the break and 75% of his tries at the rim. Iowa State allows opponents to shoot just 34% and 60% on those looks.
- Twelve first- or second-year players have a usage rate of 30% or higher. Dybantsa ranks ninth with a 22.7% assist clip.
- According to KenPom, Iowa State ranks eighth in defensive rating (93.0), which could present a major obstacle.
Make #6 Iowa State vs. #23 BYU Picks on PrizePicks
Iowa State vs. BYU Big 12 picks are just one of many ways hoops fans can get in on the daily college basketball action.
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