Valparaiso Beacons vs Northwestern Wildcats Prediction, 12/16/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Valparaiso Beacons vs Northwestern Wildcats

Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, IL

TV: ESPN+

The Northwestern Wildcats (6-4) host the Valparaiso Beacons (6-4) at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Tuesday.

The Valparaiso Beacons faced UNC Wilmington and ended up losing by a score of 73-70 in their last game. In regard to fouls, the Beacons walked away with 25 while UNC Wilmington totaled 24 fouls. They buried 6 of their 22 tries from beyond the perimeter. UNC Wilmington finished shooting 57.6% at the free throw line by knocking down 19 of 33 shots. Moreover, UNC Wilmington grabbed 41 rebounds (22 offensive, 19 defensive), but didn't notch a block. UNC Wilmington recorded 10 assists and had 2 steals for this contest. In the matter of the defense, Valparaiso let their opponent shoot 40.0% from the floor on 24 out of 60 shooting. They also recorded 10 dimes in this game while forcing the other team into 9 turnovers and getting 3 steals. With regard to rebounding, they earned 36 with 15 of them being offensive. From the free throw line, the Beacons knocked down 18 of their 24 attempts for a rate of 75.0%. Valparaiso finished the game having earned a 35.4% field goal percentage (23 out of 65) and made 6 of their 25 shots from 3-point land.

JT Pettigrew is someone who was a factor for the game. He finished the game at 33.3% from the floor and also distributed 1 assist. He was on the hardwood for 32 minutes and grabbed 10 rebounds. He finished with 17 points on 5 out of 15 shooting.

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Valparaiso will enter this game with a win-loss mark of 6-4 on the campaign. They are giving up possession 10.5 times per game and as a team they commit 17.6 personal fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Valparaiso is pulling down 39.4 boards per game and has accounted for 126 dimes so far this year, which ranks 322nd in college hoops in terms of passing. The Beacons are connecting on 30.2% from downtown (75 of 248) and 69.6% from the free throw line. They are averaging 73.1 points per outing (280th in the country) while going 41.0% from the floor.

On the defensive end, the Beacons are able to force 13.4 turnovers per game and they draw 19.3 personal fouls. They relinquish 30.8% on 3-point attempts and they rank 85th in college hoops in points per game allowed (68.3). The Beacons defensively are giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 39.8% (228 of 573) and they surrender 38.1 boards per contest as a team. They rank 27th in college in giving up assists to the opposition with 105 surrendered for the season.

When they last stepped on the court, the Northwestern Wildcats walked away with a victory by a final of 93-53 against Jackson State. The Wildcats snagged 33 defensive boards and 10 offensive rebounds totaling 43 for the game. They also turned the ball over 10 times, while getting 5 steals for the contest. Jackson State earned 26 personal fouls in this matchup which got the Wildcats to the free throw line for a total of 39 shots. They were able to bury 30 of the free throw attempts for a clip of 76.9%. With respect to shots from distance, Northwestern knocked down 7 of 26 tries (26.9%). Overall, the Wildcats finished the game shooting 28 for 56 from the floor which gave them a rate of 50.0%. The Wildcats allowed Jackson State to bury 16 of their 56 attempts from the field which gave them a percentage of 28.6% in this matchup. They shot 24.0% from beyond the perimeter by hitting 6 of 25 and finished the contest at 15 of 23 at the free throw line (65.2%). Concerning how they rebounded, Northwestern permitted Jackson State to pull down 29 overall (8 offensive).

Nick Martinelli ended up having an impact for the Wildcats for the matchup. He totaled 22 points in his 22 minutes on the court and earned 1 assist for this game. He buried 8 of 10 for this contest giving him a field goal percentage of 80.0%, and had 5 rebounds.

Northwestern has a mark of 6-4 this year. The Wildcats commit 18.5 fouls every game and they go 74.7% from the charity stripe. They are dishing out assists 18.6 times per game (28th in the country) and they turn it over 9.8 times per contest. Northwestern has 823 points so far this year (82.3 per contest) and they grab 34.8 rebounds per game. When it comes to executing on offense, the Wildcats are hitting on 50.1% from the field, which ranks 31st in the country.

The Wildcats on the defensive side of the court are 129th in the nation in points per game surrendered with 71.1. They are forcing 11.5 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 40.3% from the field (65th in college). The Northwestern defense gives up 28.6% on three-point shots (69 of 241) and their opposition makes 74.0% of their shots from the free throw line. They have conceded 14.9 dimes and 34.0 rebounds on a nightly basis, which is ranked 276th and 155th in D-1.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Valparaiso

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