The Villanova Wildcats and BYU Cougars open the college basketball season with a neutral-site clash at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The Cougars are favored by 9.5, but our Villanova vs. BYU predictions are more interested in a freshman AJ Dybantsa’s points prop.
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I break down the matchup with my college basketball picks for Monday, November 3.
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Villanova vs BYU prediction
Villanova vs BYU best bet: AJ Dybantsa Over 17.5 points (-115)
The spread is 9.5 points in the BYU Cougars‘ favor, which is a lot to ask.
Instead of sweating the spread, we’ll turn to the nation’s top freshman in AJ Dybantsa. The 6-foot-9 small forward was a McDonald’s All-American and MVP of the FIBA U-19 World Cup. He’s the highest-rated recruit in BYU history and was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Massachusetts as a high school freshman.
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Early looks in BYU’s exhibition schedule have not quelled the excitement.
He scored 30 points against Nebraska on 10 of 19 shooting. He had seven rebounds, knocked down a pair of threes, and drew seven fouls from the Cornhuskers trying to guard him. He followed that with 18 points against a ranked North Carolina Tar Heels team, drawing five fouls from defenders and grabbing eight boards.
He can shoot, drive, and score. Plus, he knows how to get to the free-throw line, all of which means he’ll be putting points on the board in large numbers.
New Villanova Wildcats coach Kevin Willard is known for his defense, but he’s coaching his first game with the Wildcats, so the system is still being implemented. Look for Dybantsa to have a coming-out party in Vegas.
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Villanova vs BYU same-game parlay
Dybantsa won’t be the only big-time freshman on the court.
Villanova’s Acaden Lewis will be running the offense. He was the Gatorade High School Player of the Year for the DC area and was originally a Kentucky commit. He averaged 16.7 points and 6.1 assists for Team Durant on the summer basketball circuit, and the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder was one of the Top 5 point guards in the class of 2025.
He led Villanova in scoring (15.5) and assists (4.0) in the two exhibition games.
Villanova vs BYU SGP
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AJ Dybantsa Over 17.5 points
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Acaden Lewis Over 3.5 assists
Our beyond the arc SGP: Youth will be served
Both Dybantsa and Lewis will have big games, and I’m adding extra player props for the freshmen in Vegas.
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Villanova vs BYU SGP
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AJ Dybantsa Over 17.5 points
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Acaden Lewis Over 3.5 assists
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AJ Dybantsa Over 7.5 rebounds
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Acaden Lewis Over 13.5 points
Villanova vs BYU odds
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Spread: Villanova +9.5 (-110) | BYU -9.5 (-110)
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Moneyline: Villanova +350 | BYU -450
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Over/Under: Over 153.5 (-110) | Under 153.5 (-110)
Villanova vs BYU betting trend to know
BYU went over on eight of its final 10 games last year and was 7-3 ATS. Find more NCAAB betting trends for Villanova vs. BYU.
How to watch Villanova vs BYU
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Location |
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV |
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Date |
Monday, November 3, 2025 |
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Tip-off |
9:30 p.m. ET |
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TV |
TNT |
Villanova vs BYU key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
