Bradley Braves vs Belmont Bruins Prediction, 1/1/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Bradley Braves vs Belmont Bruins

Date: Thursday, January 1, 2026

Location: Curb Event Center Arena in Nashville, TN

TV: ESPN+

The Bradley Braves (9-4) are on their way to Curb Event Center Arena on Thursday where they will take on the Belmont Bruins (12-1).

The Bradley Braves took the court against Southern Illinois and went home with a win by a final score of 73-69 in their last contest. Bradley wrapped up the contest having earned a 41.4% field goal percentage (24 of 58) and made 7 out of their 16 shots from downtown. At the charity stripe, the Braves made 18 of their 20 attempts for a rate of 90.0%. In the matter of hauling in rebounds, they compiled 33 with 9 of them being offensive. They also dished out 16 assists in this matchup while creating 13 turnovers and getting 8 steals. In regard to the defense, Bradley allowed the other team to shoot 44.3% from the field on 27 of 61 shooting. Southern Illinois earned 11 assists and had 9 steals in the game. On top of that, Southern Illinois totaled 32 rebounds (10 offensive, 22 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. Southern Illinois finished the contest at 66.7% at the charity stripe by making 12 of 18 attempts. They made 3 out of their 19 shots from distance. In regard to personal fouls, the Braves ended up with 17 and Southern Illinois racked up 21 personal fouls.

Jaquan Johnson is a guy who played a role in the matchup. He finished with 20 points on 4 out of 12 shooting. He was on the court for 33 minutes played and also totaled 5 rebounds. He went 33.3% from the floor and also earned 4 assists.

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Bradley will play this game with a record of 9-4 for the year. They lose possession by turning the ball over 10.7 times per game and as a group they commit 18.5 fouls per contest. As a unit, Bradley is pulling in 34.5 boards per game and has tallied 174 assists for the year, which is 242nd in the country in terms of passing. The Braves are hitting 34.2% on three-point attempts (115 of 336) and 72.6% from the free throw line. They are averaging 78.5 points per contest (163rd in D-1) while hitting 44.3% from the floor.

On the defensive end, the Braves have forced 16.8 turnovers per game while drawing 18.2 personal fouls. They are ranked 125th in college in giving up assists with 160 surrendered this season. The Braves defense is allowing a field goal percentage of 43.0% (304 of 707) and they surrender 36.5 boards per game as a team. They are surrendering 34.0% on 3-pointers and they are 96th in college in opponents points per game (69.5).

In their last game, the Belmont Bruins walked away with a victory by a final of 84-58 when they played UC Irvine. The Bruins were able to collect 33 defensive boards and 8 offensive rebounds totaling 41 for the game. They turned the ball over 15 times, while getting 5 steals in this matchup. UC Irvine committed 17 fouls in the game which took the Bruins to the free throw line for a total of 17 shots. They were able to knock down 13 of the free throw tries for a percentage of 76.5%. With regard to shooting from beyond the arc, Belmont converted 13 of 25 attempts (52.0%). When the final whistle was blown, the Bruins went 29 out of 56 from the field which gave them a percentage of 51.8%. The Bruins allowed UC Irvine to make 20 out of 63 tries from the floor which gave them a rate of 31.7% in the game. They went 28.6% from distance by going 8 of 28 and finished the contest at 10 out of 17 from the charity stripe (58.8%). In relation to how they rebounded, Belmont allowed UC Irvine to snag 29 overall (8 offensive).

Drew Scharnowski was important for the Bruins in this matchup. He made 4 of 6 in this matchup for a field goal rate of 66.7%, and earned 9 rebounds. He totaled 14 points in his 15 mins on the court and had 3 dimes in this contest.

Belmont has a record of 12-1 for the year. When it comes to offense, the Bruins are hitting on 51.7% from the field, which ranks 16th in college. Belmont has accounted for 1,110 pts on the season (85.4 per game) and they average 40.2 rebounds per game. They are dishing out assists 18.8 times per contest (23rd in D-1) and they lose possession via turnover 13.7 times per contest. The Bruins commit 16.8 personal fouls every game and they hit 66.7% from the charity stripe.

The Bruins on defense are ranked 72nd in Division 1 in points allowed per contest with 68.2. They have forced 13.1 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 36.3% from the field (5th in college hoops). The Belmont defense surrenders 29.5% on 3-point shots (121 of 410) and opponents are converting on 77.0% of their free throw attempts. They allow 11.2 assists and 34.2 rebounds per contest, which is ranked 52nd and 168th in college hoops.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Belmont

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