Abilene Christian Wildcats vs Utah Tech Trailblazers Prediction, 2/26/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Abilene Christian Wildcats vs Utah Tech Trailblazers

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026

Location: Burns Arena in St. George, UT

TV: ESPN+

Burns Arena is where the Utah Tech Trailblazers (17-12) will go up against the Abilene Christian Wildcats (13-14) on Thursday.

The Abilene Christian Wildcats stepped onto the hardwood against Southern Utah and notched a win by a score of 87-83 in their last game. Abilene Christian wrapped up the game with a 55.6% FG percentage (30 out of 54) and converted 3 of their 14 shots from distance. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Wildcats made 24 of 33 shots for a percentage of 72.7%. In the matter of rebounding, they compiled 19 with 5 of them being offensive. They also distributed 11 dimes for the matchup in addition to forcing the opposition into 24 turnovers and earning 15 steals. In terms of defense, Abilene Christian allowed 58.0% from the floor on 29 out of 50 shooting. Southern Utah recorded 10 dimes and had 9 steals in this matchup. Moreover, Southern Utah had 25 boards (6 offensive, 19 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Southern Utah walked away from this one shooting 72.7% from the free throw line by burying 16 of their 22 shots. They also made 9 of their 13 attempts from 3-point range. When discussing fouls, the Wildcats ended up with 21 and Southern Utah had 25 fouls.

Chilaydrien Newton is someone who was a major contributor for the matchup. He finished 54.5% from the floor and recorded 2 assists. He played for 35 minutes and also totaled 2 boards. He totaled 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting.

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Abilene Christian will enter this game with a win-loss record of 13-14 on the season. They are averaging 70.7 points per outing (299th in the country) while hitting 43.9% from the field. The Wildcats are hitting 31.9% on 3-pointers (159 of 498) and 70.1% from the free throw line. As a team, Abilene Christian is grabbing 32.4 rebounds per contest and has 366 dimes for the season, which has them ranked 246th in Division 1 in terms of passing. They turn the ball over 14.4 times per game and as a unit they commit 20.5 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

On defense, the Wildcats are forcing their opponents into 16.8 turnovers per contest and they draw 17.9 fouls. They give up 38.3% on 3-pointers and they are 108th in college hoops in opponents PPG (71.1). The Wildcats defensively are giving up a FG percentage of 48.3% (635 of 1,315) and they surrender 30.9 rebounds per game as a squad. They rank 28th in D-1 in allowing assists to the opposition with 308 conceded so far this year.

When they last stepped on the court, the Utah Tech Trailblazers walked away with a victory by a final of 80-72 when they faced Tarleton State. Concerning attacking the glass, Utah Tech allowed Tarleton State to collect 28 overall (9 on the offensive side). They finished 31.8% from 3-point land by connecting on 7 of 22 and ended up going 13 out of 15 at the free throw line (86.7%). The Trailblazers permitted Tarleton State to convert 26 of their 61 attempts from the floor which gave them a percentage of 42.6% for the matchup. When the final whistle blew, the Trailblazers finished the game shooting 26 for 55 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 47.3%. When discussing 3-point shots, Utah Tech made 11 of 29 attempts (37.9%). They were able to make 17 of the free throws for a clip of 85.0%. Tarleton State earned 18 personal fouls in this matchup which took the Trailblazers to the charity stripe for 20 shots. They gave up possession of the ball 9 times, while earning 4 steals for this game. The Trailblazers corralled 26 defensive rebounds and 11 offensive rebounds totaling 37 in this matchup.

Chance Trujillo ended up being important for the Trailblazers in this contest. He earned 19 points in his 30 mins on the court and had 4 assists in the game. He knocked down 7 of 13 for the game giving him a field goal percentage of 53.8%, and had 10 rebounds.

Utah Tech has a record of 17-12 for the season. As an offensive unit, the Trailblazers are shooting 46.8% from the floor, which ranks 91st in the nation. Utah Tech has totaled 2,207 pts this season (76.1 per game) and they pull in 34.7 rebounds per game. They are dishing out assists 14.4 times per contest (151st in D-1) and they are turning it over 12.2 times per game. The Trailblazers are committing 16.0 fouls per game and they shoot 72.0% from the charity stripe.

The Trailblazers on the defensive side of the court are 163rd in college hoops in points allowed per game with 73.2. They are forcing their opponents into 12.7 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 43.5% from the field (145th in college hoops). The Utah Tech defense gives up 28.8% on 3-pointers (171 of 593) and their opponents are making 71.7% of their shots from the free throw line. They have relinquished 12.4 assists and 36.1 total boards per game, which is ranked 101st and 289th in college.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Utah Tech

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