California Baptist Lancers vs UT Arlington Mavericks Prediction, 1/1/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: California Baptist Lancers vs UT Arlington Mavericks

Date: Thursday, January 1, 2026

Location: College Park Center in Arlington, TX

TV: ESPN+

The UT Arlington Mavericks (8-4) are hosting the California Baptist Lancers (10-3) at College Park Center on Thursday.

The California Baptist Lancers played Sacramento State and went home with a win by a final score of 74-67 in their last game. California Baptist finished the contest having earned a 40.4% FG percentage (23 of 57) and converted 7 out of their 18 shots from 3-point land. At the charity stripe, the Lancers knocked down 21 of their 30 attempts for a percentage of 70.0%. When discussing grabbing rebounds, they earned 40 with 14 of them being offensive. They also doled out 12 dimes for the game while forcing the other team into 11 turnovers and earning 5 steals. Pertaining to the defense, California Baptist let their opponent shoot 36.6% from the floor on 26 of 71 shooting. Sacramento State doled out 8 dimes and had 7 steals for the contest. Moreover, Sacramento State grabbed 37 rebounds (16 offensive, 21 defensive), but didn't have a block. Sacramento State ended up shooting 83.3% when shooting free throws by making 5 of their 6 tries. They also converted 10 of their 32 attempts from beyond the arc. In the matter of fouls, the Lancers ended up with 14 and Sacramento State accounted for 23 fouls.

Martel Williams is one guy who was important in the game. He notched 14 points on 6 out of 11 shooting. He played for 40 minutes and snagged 5 rebounds. He finished the game shooting 54.5% from the floor and distributed 4 assists.

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California Baptist comes into this contest with a mark of 10-3 for the year. They turn the ball over 12.3 times per game and as a team they are committing 18.8 fouls per game. As a team, California Baptist is collecting 41.3 boards per game and is sitting with 152 assists on the campaign, which has them ranked 320th in the country in terms of passing. The Lancers are hitting 31.6% from downtown (81 of 256) and 72.1% from the charity stripe. They average 75.4 points per outing (241st in the nation) while hitting 43.3% from the field.

On defense, the Lancers are forcing 12.0 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 18.7 personal fouls. They are ranked 26th in Division 1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 131 conceded so far this year. The Lancers are allowing an opponent shooting percentage of 42.8% (317 of 740) and they surrender 31.9 boards per game as a squad. They are giving up 31.3% from beyond the arc while they are 122nd in the country in PPG allowed (70.6).

The last time they took the court, the UT Arlington Mavericks walked away with a victory by a final of 69-57 when they faced Oral Roberts. The Mavericks were able to snag 25 defensive rebounds and 7 offensive boards totaling 32 in this game. They coughed up the ball 14 times, while getting 11 steals in the game. Oral Roberts was called for 16 personal fouls for this contest which got the Mavericks to the free throw line for 20 tries. They were able to convert 13 of them for a clip of 65.0%. With respect to shots from distance, UT Arlington converted 8 of 18 tries (44.4%). When the final whistle was blown, the Mavericks went 24 out of 51 from the floor which had them sitting at 47.1%. The Mavericks allowed Oral Roberts to bury 17 of their 55 attempts from the field which left them with a rate of 30.9% in this contest. They finished 10.0% from beyond the arc by going 2 of 20 and ended up shooting 21 of 25 at the free throw line (84.0%). When discussing rebounds, UT Arlington allowed Oral Roberts to get 29 in total (9 offensive).

Marcell McCreary was important for the Mavericks for this game. He totaled 16 points in his 32 mins on the court and tallied 1 assist in the matchup. He converted 6 out of 11 in this contest for a rate of 54.5%, and added 3 rebounds.

UT Arlington has a win-loss record of 8-4 on the season. As an offense, the Mavericks are shooting 46.4% from the field, which ranks 146th in college. UT Arlington has scored 872 pts on the campaign (72.7 per game) and they grab 38.6 boards per game. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 13.8 times per game (239th in the nation) and they lose possession via turnover 14.8 times per contest. The Mavericks commit 18.8 personal fouls per game while shooting 68.1% from the charity stripe.

The UT Arlington defense concedes 24.1% on 3-point attempts (49 of 203) and opponents are connecting on 72.9% of their shots from the free throw line. They concede 10.8 assists and 30.3 rebounds per game, which has them ranked 34th and 25th in the nation. The Mavericks on the defensive end are ranked 19th in college in points per game surrendered with 64.3. They are forcing their opponents into 14.1 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 39.7% from the floor (45th in college hoops).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take UT Arlington

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