Indiana State Sycamores vs UNI Panthers Prediction, 1/1/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Indiana State Sycamores vs UNI Panthers

Date: Thursday, January 1, 2026

Location: McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, IA

TV: ESPN+

The UNI Panthers (9-3) will play the Indiana State Sycamores (7-6) at McLeod Center on Thursday.

The Indiana State Sycamores faced Illinois State and took a loss by a final of 85-65 in their last game. Indiana State ended the contest with a 43.5% FG percentage (20 out of 46) and made 9 of 24 shots from downtown. From the charity stripe, the Sycamores buried 16 of 27 shots for a percentage of 59.3%. When talking about grabbing rebounds, they compiled 25 with 2 of them being offensive. They also doled out 11 assists in the matchup while forcing the opposition into 4 turnovers and having 4 steals. When talking about defense, Indiana State allowed the other team to shoot 52.3% from the floor on 34 out of 65 shooting. Illinois State doled out 16 assists and had 6 steals in the game. Furthermore, Illinois State had 35 rebounds (6 offensive, 29 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. Illinois State finished 80.0% from the free throw line by making 12 of their 15 attempts. They converted 5 out of their 16 shots from 3-point land. Concerning personal fouls, the Sycamores ended up finishing with 15 and Illinois State had 19 personal fouls.

Ian Scott is a player who was a major contributor in this contest. He walked away from this one shooting 60.0% from the floor and also totaled 1 assist. He played for 31 minutes played and also totaled 2 rebounds. He finished with 20 points on 6 of 10 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Tonight

Indiana State steps onto the hardwood with a mark of 7-6 for the season. They currently have an average of 76.4 pts per game (215th in college) while going 45.4% from the floor. The Sycamores are hitting 30.6% on shots beyond the perimeter (111 of 363) and 71.8% from the free throw line. As a team, Indiana State is pulling down 37.2 rebounds per contest and has earned 222 dimes this season, which is 55th in college hoops in terms of passing. They are turning it over 13.5 times per game and as a team they commit 15.4 fouls on a nightly basis.

Defensively, the Sycamores are able to force 11.6 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 15.8 personal fouls. They rank 80th in college hoops in giving up assists to the opposition with 148 surrendered for the campaign. The Sycamores are giving up a FG percentage of 42.6% (364 of 854) and they surrender 38.3 rebounds per game as a team. They are relinquishing 29.5% on shots from beyond the arc and they rank 184th in Division 1 in PPG allowed (73.2).

In their last game, the UNI Panthers went home defeated by a final of 63-58 against St. Mary's. With respect to rebounds, UNI allowed St. Mary's to collect 40 in all (13 offensive). They wrapped up this game 20.0% from downtown by hitting 4 of 20 and ended up going 25 of 27 from the free throw line (92.6%). The Panthers permitted St. Mary's to convert 17 out of their 53 attempts from the floor which had them shooting 32.1% in this contest. In all, the Panthers shot 24 for 55 from the field which gave them a percentage of 43.6%. With respect to shots from 3-point land, UNI knocked down 7 out of 20 tries (35.0%). They were able to knock down 3 of the free throw tries for a clip of 75.0%. St. Mary's earned 11 fouls in this game which got the Panthers to the charity stripe for a total of 4 tries. They also turned it over 8 times, while recording 7 steals for the matchup. The Panthers were able to corral 20 defensive boards and 2 offensive boards for a total of 22 in this matchup.

Trey Campbell ended up being a factor for the Panthers in the matchup. He had 18 points in his 38 minutes on the hardwood and added 5 dimes in the matchup. He knocked down 8 of 16 for this game for a field goal rate of 50.0%, and accumulated 5 rebounds.

UNI has a record of 9-3 for the year. The Panthers have committed 15.5 fouls per contest and they go 67.2% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 17.3 times per game (61st in college) and they turn the ball over 9.3 times per contest. UNI has accounted for 854 points for the campaign (71.2 per game) and they average 33.3 rebounds per game. As an offensive team, the Panthers are connecting on 46.4% from the floor, which has them ranked 144th in the nation.

The Panthers on the defensive end are ranked 2nd in college in points per game surrendered with 58.1. They have forced 14.0 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 36.9% from the floor (7th in college). The UNI defense gives up 25.9% on shots from 3-point land (69 of 266) and their opponents are knocking down 71.7% of their foul shots. They have relinquished 10.2 dimes and 36.7 boards on a nightly basis, which has them ranked 21st and 279th in Division 1.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Indiana State

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.