UT Rio Grande Vaqueros vs Southern Utah Thunderbirds Prediction, 11/8/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UTRGV Vaqueros vs Southern Utah Thunderbirds

Date: Saturday, November 8, 2025

Location: America First Events Center in Cedar City, UT

TV: ESPN+

The UTRGV Vaqueros (0-1) are on their way to America First Events Center on Saturday where they will attempt to beat the Southern Utah Thunderbirds (0-1).

The UTRGV Vaqueros took the court against Baylor and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 96-81 in their last game. Regarding fouls, the Vaqueros ended up finishing with 27 and Baylor totaled 13 fouls. They knocked down 11 out of their 30 tries from beyond the arc. Baylor finished the game at 65.6% from the charity stripe by knocking down 21 of their 32 shots. On top of that, Baylor snagged 39 rebounds (11 offensive, 28 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Baylor earned 18 dimes and had 6 steals for the matchup. In regard to defending, UT Rio Grande allowed the other team to go 49.2% from the floor on 32 of 65 shooting. They also doled out 16 assists for the contest while forcing the opposition into 11 turnovers and getting 7 steals. Pertaining to rebounding, they collected 25 with 2 of them being on the offensive end. From the free throw line, the Vaqueros knocked down 10 of 11 tries for a rate of 90.9%. UT Rio Grande ended with a 49.2% field goal percentage (30 of 61) and made 11 of their 27 three-point attempts.

Marvin McGhee III is one guy who was a contributor in this matchup. He finished 54.5% from the floor and also distributed 1 assist. He was on the hardwood for 31 mins and also snagged 9 rebounds. He finished with 16 points on 6 out of 11 shooting.

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UT Rio Grande enters this game with a record of 0-1 for the season. They are averaging 81.0 pts per contest (186th in the nation) while hitting 49.2% from the field. The Vaqueros are connecting on 40.7% on shots beyond the perimeter (11 of 27) and 90.9% from the free throw line. As a team, UT Rio Grande is grabbing 26.0 boards per contest and has 16 assists this season, which has them ranked 225th in Division 1 in terms of passing the ball. They turn it over 12.0 times per contest and as a team they commit 27.0 fouls per game.

On the defensive end, the Vaqueros are able to force 11.0 turnovers per game and they draw 13.0 fouls. They rank 248th in the nation in giving up assists to the opposition with 18 conceded this season. The Vaqueros defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 49.2% (32 of 65) and they concede 42.0 rebounds per game as a squad. They are conceding 36.7% on 3-point shots while they are 343rd in college in PPG allowed (96.0).

When they last played, the Southern Utah Thunderbirds took a defeat with a final score of 81-64 against Arizona State. In the matter of rebounding, Southern Utah allowed Arizona State to grab 35 in total (8 offensive). They finished 39.1% from distance via 9 out of 23 and finished the game at 14 out of 20 from the free throw line (70.0%). The Thunderbirds allowed Arizona State to convert 29 of their 59 tries from the floor which gave them a percentage of 49.2% in the game. When the final whistle blew, the Thunderbirds finished shooting 26 out of 70 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 37.1%. Concerning shots from 3-point land, Southern Utah made 4 of 25 attempts (16.0%). They were able to bury 8 of the free throw tries for a percentage of 100.0%. Arizona State was called for 14 fouls for the game which took the Thunderbirds to the charity stripe for a total of 8 shots. They also gave up possession 15 times, while earning 8 steals for this contest. The Thunderbirds earned 21 defensive rebounds and 14 offensive rebounds totaling 35 in this matchup.

Elijah Duval ended up having an impact for the Thunderbirds in this contest. He buried 8 out of 14 for the matchup giving him a rate of 57.1%, and tallied 3 rebounds. He scored 17 points in his 30 minutes on the hardwood and had 3 assists for the matchup.

Southern Utah has a mark of 0-1 this season. The Thunderbirds are committing 18.0 personal fouls per contest and they go 100.0% from the free throw line. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 11.0 times per contest (296th in Division 1) and they are giving up possession 16.0 times per game. Southern Utah has tallied 64 points this season and they grab 40.0 boards per contest. When it comes to executing on offense, the Thunderbirds are connecting on 37.1% from the field, which ranks them 312th in the nation.

The Thunderbirds on the defensive side of the court are 286th in college in points allowed per game with 81.0. They are forcing their opponents into 14.0 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 49.2% from the field (309th in college hoops). The Southern Utah defense surrenders 39.1% on shots from distance (9 of 23) and their opponents are connecting on 70.0% of their free throw shots. They give up 17.0 dimes and 39.0 boards per game, which ranks 303rd and 265th in college hoops.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take UT Rio Grande

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