Boston University Terriers vs Northwestern Wildcats Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Week 2

Both teams are 2-0, and Kyrone Alexander is giving Boston University 24.0 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. Northwestern is home in Evanston, but 16.5 points is a big ask against a Terriers team that already won at Brown.

The Matchup

Boston University visits Northwestern on Monday evening at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, on BTN, with Northwestern a 16.5-point favorite, a total of 146.5, and the Wildcats priced at -1,600 on the moneyline against Boston University at +900. Both teams are 2-0. Northwestern has not left home yet this season, and Boston University has already won once on the road.

Boston University beat Northeastern 93-85 at home, then won 72-67 at Brown on Saturday. Kyrone Alexander has carried the Terriers through both games, leading the team at 24.0 points and 7.5 rebounds a game, and Michelangelo Oberti leads Boston University at 3.5 assists a game. Alexander scoring and rebounding at that level gives the Terriers a genuine two-way anchor, not just a hot shooter.

Northwestern beat Binghamton 86-60 and Stony Brook 78-65, both at home. Jake West has been excellent, leading the Wildcats at 21.5 points and 9.0 assists a game, and Angelo Ciaravino leads Northwestern at 8.5 rebounds a game. West creating at that rate explains the 82.0 points a game Northwestern has scored so far.

Last season, these two teams were much closer than this spread suggests. Boston University went 17-17, scored 75.5 points a game, and allowed 73.9. Northwestern went 15-19, scored 73.2 points a game, and allowed 72.0. Neither team separated from its opponents last season, and this season's gap in the numbers comes with a schedule note attached: Northwestern's 62.5 points allowed per game were built at home against Binghamton and Stony Brook, while Boston University's 2-0 start includes a road win at Brown against a team that plays a deliberate, physical style. The Wildcats have looked better so far, but the step up in opponent quality on Monday is real for both sides.

Key Factors

Alexander against West is the duel that shapes this game. West at 21.5 points and 9.0 assists a game is producing points on nearly every Northwestern possession he touches, but Alexander answers with 24.0 points and 7.5 rebounds a game, and a scorer who also finishes possessions on the glass keeps his team close on nights when the shots are not falling. If Alexander matches West's production, Boston University does not need much else to stay inside 16.5.

The glass is the quieter edge. Ciaravino leads Northwestern at 8.5 rebounds a game, and Alexander leads Boston University at 7.5, so neither team walks in with a clear rebounding advantage, and second chances are how a home favorite usually stretches a lead like this in the second half. Keep that battle even and the game stays a possession-by-possession fight, which suits the underdog. Neither team has a player listed out for this game in the ESPN injury report.

The honest counterpoint is Welsh-Ryan Arena and West's form. Northwestern is at home for the third straight game, West is playing the best basketball of anybody in this matchup right now, and Boston University is traveling on a short turnaround after the Saturday win at Brown.

If West gets Northwestern running early and the Terriers' legs go in the second half, the Wildcats can absolutely cover. The bet is that a Boston University team that was even with its opponents last season, and that has the best scorer in the game by the early numbers, keeps this far closer than 16.5.

Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.