<p>BYU's run to the NIT's Final Four started with a 97-79 romp over UAB as a 9.5-point home favorite. The Cougars then knocked-off Virginia Tech in a tight 80-77 win, but they could not cover against the spread as eight-point favorites at home. They punched their ticket to Madison Square Garden with last Tuesday's 88-82 victory against Creighton as four-point favorites. The total went OVER in two of those three games.
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<p>Senior guard Chase Fischer has been a big part of BYU's success this season with a team-high 18.3 points per game and during this tournament he has been able to raise that average to an impressive 22 PPG. The Cougars, as a team, have raised the bar in the NIT when it comes to putting points on the board with an average of 88.3 PPG as opposed to their season average of 83.6 points that was already ranked eighth in the nation.
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<p>The Crusaders began their quest for a NIT title with an 84-73 win at home against Texas Southern, but they could not cover the 15-point spread. They went onto to beat Florida State and St. Mary's both straight-up and ATS by a combined 28-point margin of victory. The total stayed UNDER in last Tuesday's 60-44 victory against the Gaels in the quarterfinals after going OVER in six of their previous seven games.
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<p>Junior forward Alec Peters has had the hot hand for Valparaiso in the postseason. After leading the team in scoring all season long with 18.5 PPG, he has upped his game to post an average of 24.5 points in this tournament. He has now scored at least 20 points in his seven starts. The Crusaders are averaging 75 points a game through the first three rounds of the NIT to basically match their season average of 75.8 PPG.
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<div class="heading">BYU Cougars vs. Valparaiso Crusaders Game Betting Trends</div>
<p>The Cougars are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS win, but they have covered in four of their last five nonconference games. The total has gone OVER in 10 of their last 11 games played at a neutral site.
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<p>The Crusaders are 5-1 ATS in their last six neutral-site games, but they have failed to cover in seven of their last 10 games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last six games against a WCC team.
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<p>This will be the first meeting between these two teams in recent memory.
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