BYU vs. Miami Prediction & Odds: College Basketball Betting Preview for Nov. 27

My BYU vs. Miami prediction suggests that the spread might be too high when the No. 9 Cougars face the Hurricanes in the ESPN Events Invitational. Tipoff is at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday at the State Farm Field House in Kissimmee, Fla. (ESPN).

BYU (4-1) is an 8.5-point favorite over Miami (5-1), but could the Hurricanes put up a fight? I break down the matchup as part of college basketball's Feast Week.

✅ BYU vs. Miami prediction & expert picks

See all of our experts' college basketball picks this week.

🏀 BYU vs. Miami preview & score prediction

Miami’s lone loss came against the defending champions, losing 82-68 to Florida 11 days ago. Aside from that, the Hurricanes have taken care of business against five foes who rank 186th or worse on KenPom.

This is a good opportunity for Miami, which is 46th on KenPom. Led by first-year head coach Jai Lucas, the new-look Hurricanes have plenty of talent on their roster.

New-look Hurricanes face early test

Lucas landed some notable names in the transfer portal, and they are paving the way this season.

Malik Reneau, a power forward from Indiana, is averaging 21.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. The senior will have the experience advantage over BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, a talented freshman who the NBA draft odds have in the running to go first overall in 2026.

Point guard Tre Donaldson came to Miami from Michigan, while center Ernest Udeh Jr. arrived via TCU. Donaldson is averaging 16.8 points and 5.8 assists, while Udeh is producing 7.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

The Cougars are deserving favorites in this non-conference battle on Thanksgiving Day. After all, they have the best player in this game and are coming off a win over Wisconsin. 

However, I think Miami’s talent is being a bit underrated with this spread.

Score prediction: BYU 82, Miami 75

🆚 BYU vs. Miami matchup to watch

AJ Dybantsa vs. Malik Reneau

There aren’t any player prop markets available as of this writing, but the matchup to watch is at the power forward position. Dybantsa and Reneau are the best players for their respective teams.

Dybantsa is the more talented player, averaging 19.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. But Reneau is older and coming off a 24-point performance. This game could be determined by how much Reneau can hold his own in this matchup.

As for action, I like Miami’s chances of getting off to a fast start. The Hurricanes should have more fans in this holiday matchup, which could have a greater impact early on.

Best prop bet: Miami first-half spread +4.5 (-105 via Caesars)

📊 BYU vs. Miami odds

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📺 How to watch BYU vs. Miami

• Date: Thursday, Nov. 27
• Tipoff: 5 p.m. ET
• Location: State Farm Field House (Kissimmee, Fla.)
• TV: ESPN