Central Connecticut Blue Devils vs LIU Sharks Prediction, 1/2/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Central Connecticut Blue Devils vs LIU Sharks

Date: Friday, January 2, 2026

Location: Steinberg Wellness Center in Brooklyn, NY

TV: ESPN+

Steinberg Wellness Center is the location where the LIU Sharks (6-6) will go up against the Central Connecticut Blue Devils (6-5) on Friday.

The Central Connecticut Blue Devils played Fairfield and took a loss by a score of 84-70 in their last game. In relation to fouls, the Blue Devils finished with 11 and Fairfield accounted for 15 fouls. They also knocked down 12 of their 28 shots from distance. Fairfield walked away from this one shooting 76.9% from the charity stripe by knocking down 10 of their 13 tries. In addition, Fairfield totaled 33 rebounds (7 offensive, 26 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. Fairfield distributed 14 assists and had 5 steals in the game. Regarding the defense, Central Connecticut allowed 50.8% from the floor on 31 out of 61 shooting. They also dished out 16 assists in this game while forcing 9 turnovers and getting 6 steals. In reference to grabbing rebounds, they compiled a total of 29 with 11 of them being of the offensive sort. At the free throw line, the Blue Devils made 11 of 13 shots for a rate of 84.6%. Central Connecticut wrapped up the game with a 39.7% field goal percentage (25 of 63) and knocked down 9 out of their 28 shots from downtown.

Darin Smith Jr. is someone who had an impact for the contest. He finished shooting 36.8% from the floor and dished out 2 assists. He was on the court for 29 minutes played and also collected 5 rebounds. He accounted for 20 points on 7 of 19 shooting.

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Central Connecticut enters this one with a mark of 6-5 so far this season. They turn it over 10.5 times per game and as a unit are committing 12.4 personal fouls per contest. As a unit, Central Connecticut is grabbing 37.7 boards per game and has 180 dimes so far this year, which has them ranked 216th in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Blue Devils are hitting 38.0% on three-point attempts (90 of 237) and 71.8% from the free throw line. They are averaging 79.2 points per contest (146th in Division 1) while connecting on 47.7% from the floor.

When they are on defense, the Blue Devils are able to force 10.7 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 14.7 fouls. They are surrendering 33.7% from beyond the arc and they are ranked 144th in the country in points per game allowed (71.5). The Blue Devils defensively are giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 42.0% (288 of 685) and they surrender 33.7 boards per contest as a team. They are currently ranked 108th in college in allowing assists to the opposition with 155 relinquished for the campaign.

When they last played, the LIU Sharks walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 86-79 when they played FIU. The Sharks recorded 21 defensive boards and 15 offensive boards totaling 36 in this matchup. They also turned it over 19 times, while getting 9 steals in this contest. FIU committed 18 fouls for the game which took the Sharks to the free throw line for a total of 17 attempts. They were able to convert 11 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 64.7%. When talking about shooting from beyond the arc, LIU knocked down 8 of their 24 tries (33.3%). When the final whistle was blown, the Sharks went 30 out of 66 from the floor which gave them a rate of 45.5%. The Sharks allowed FIU to make 32 of their 61 tries from the field which gave them a percentage of 52.5% in the game. They shot 35.3% from distance via 6 of 17 and finished the game at 16 of 24 from the free throw line (66.7%). In the matter of cleaning up the glass, LIU permitted FIU to pull down 28 overall (9 offensive).

Jamal Fuller ended up having an impact for the Sharks for the contest. He converted 6 of 14 for the contest for a field goal percentage of 42.9%, and had 5 rebounds. He totaled 18 points in his 31 minutes of playing time and tallied 4 dimes in the matchup.

LIU has a record of 6-6 for the season. When it comes to offense, the Sharks are shooting 48.2% from the floor, which ranks them 71st in the nation. LIU has accumulated 922 pts so far this year (76.8 per game) and they grab 34.4 rebounds per game. They are assisting teammates 13.5 times per contest (255th in college hoops) and they are losing possession via turnover 14.8 times per contest. The Sharks commit 18.2 fouls per game while shooting 64.3% from the charity stripe.

The LIU defense gives up 33.2% on 3-point attempts (81 of 244) and opponents are knocking down 68.2% of their foul shots. They surrender 14.4 assists and 36.3 boards on a nightly basis, which has them ranked 256th and 266th in the nation. The Sharks on the defensive end are ranked 325th in college hoops in PPG surrendered with 80.6. They are able to force 13.7 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 47.4% from the field (322nd in college).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take LIU

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