California Baptist Lancers vs Tarleton State Texans Prediction, 1/3/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: California Baptist Lancers vs Tarleton State Texans

Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026

Location: Wisdom Gym in Stephenville, TX

TV: ESPN+

The California Baptist Lancers (10-4) are on their way to Wisdom Gym on Saturday where they will take on the Tarleton State Texans (10-4).

The California Baptist Lancers took the court against Utah Valley and went home with a loss by a final score of 73-66 in their last contest. California Baptist wrapped up the contest with a 51.1% FG percentage (23 of 45) and converted 3 of 12 shots from 3-point land. At the charity stripe, the Lancers converted 17 of their 20 attempts for a percentage of 85.0%. With respect to hauling in boards, they earned 33 with 4 of them being of the offensive variety. They also recorded 12 assists for the game in addition to creating 7 turnovers and earning 3 steals. With regard to the defense, California Baptist allowed 53.6% from the field on 30 out of 56 shooting. Utah Valley distributed 22 assists and had 14 steals in the matchup. In addition, Utah Valley grabbed 20 boards (2 offensive, 18 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. Utah Valley shot 45.0% at the free throw line by knocking down 9 of their 20 tries. They also made 4 out of their 14 attempts from 3-point range. Regarding personal fouls, the Lancers finished with 21 and Utah Valley recorded 18 personal fouls.

Dominique Daniels Jr. is one player who played a role in the game. He accumulated 17 points on 5 out of 13 shooting. He saw the court for 36 mins played and collected 3 rebounds. He ended up going 38.5% from the field and earned 1 assist.

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California Baptist comes into this contest with a record of 10-4 so far this season. They are losing possession via turnover 13.1 times per contest and as a squad they are committing 19.0 fouls on a nightly basis. As a team, California Baptist is snagging 40.9 rebounds per contest and is sitting with 164 assists this year, which ranks 316th in the nation in terms of passing. The Lancers are hitting 31.3% on shots beyond the perimeter (84 of 268) and 72.9% from the free throw line. They average 74.7 pts per game (249th in D-1) while connecting on 43.7% from the field.

When they are on defense, the Lancers are forcing their opponents into 11.7 turnovers every game while drawing 18.6 fouls. They relinquish 31.1% on three-point shots and they are 123rd in the country in PPG allowed (70.8). The Lancers are giving up an opponent FG percentage of 43.6% (347 of 796) and they surrender 31.1 rebounds per game as a group. They currently rank 57th in college in giving up assists to the opposition with 153 relinquished so far this season.

The last time they took the court, the Tarleton State Texans got the victory with a final of 69-63 against UT Arlington. In regard to how they rebounded, Tarleton State permitted UT Arlington to collect 32 in all (9 on the offensive side). They finished 31.3% from three-point range by shooting 5 of 16 and ended up going 20 out of 28 from the free throw line (71.4%). The Texans permitted UT Arlington to convert 19 out of 45 attempts from the floor which gave them a rate of 42.2% for the game. When the final whistle blew, the Texans shot 26 for 52 from the field which had them at 50.0%. In relation to 3-pointers, Tarleton State converted 4 of their 13 attempts (30.8%). They were able to bury 13 of those for a clip of 46.4%. UT Arlington earned 22 fouls for this contest which got the Texans to the free throw line for a total of 28 attempts. They also gave up possession of the ball 6 times, while recording 11 steals for the contest. The Texans collected 17 defensive rebounds and 5 offensive rebounds for a total of 22 in the matchup.

Camron McDowell was important for the Texans for this game. He converted 8 out of 16 in this matchup for a field goal rate of 50.0%, and accumulated 4 rebounds. He scored 23 points in his 28 minutes of playing time and accumulated 3 assists in the game.

Tarleton State has a win-loss record of 10-4 so far this year. The Texans are committing 19.4 fouls per game and they go 74.6% from the free throw line. They are getting an assist 13.4 times per contest (263rd in college hoops) and they cough up possession 15.0 times per contest. Tarleton State has earned 1,117 points so far this year (79.8 per contest) and they pull down 35.1 boards per game. In terms of offensive execution, the Texans are shooting 47.8% from the field, which is ranked 80th in D-1.

The Tarleton State defense gives up 33.1% on three-point shots (103 of 311) and their opposition makes 69.4% of their free throw shots. They have allowed 12.8 assists and 32.4 total rebounds per game, which is ranked 145th and 82nd in the country. The Texans defensively are ranked 111th in college hoops in PPG given up with 70.3. They are forcing 19.5 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 43.4% from the field (182nd in college hoops).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take California Baptist

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