FIU Panthers vs Liberty Flames Prediction, 2/19/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: FIU Panthers vs Liberty Flames

Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026

Location: Liberty Arena in Lynchburg, VA

TV: CBSSN

The FIU Panthers (12-13) are traveling to Liberty Arena on Thursday where they will play the Liberty Flames (22-3).

The FIU Panthers stepped onto the hardwood against Louisiana Tech and walked away with a win by a score of 77-64 in their last game. FIU finished the contest having earned a 47.5% FG percentage (28 of 59) and knocked down 10 out of their 22 three-point shots. When they shot from the free throw line, the Panthers converted 11 of 18 attempts for a percentage of 61.1%. When it comes to rebounding, they collected 38 with 15 of them being on the offensive end. They also recorded 10 dimes for the game in addition to forcing the other team into 15 turnovers and earning 10 steals. In reference to defense, FIU let their opponent shoot 46.3% from the floor on 25 of 54 shooting. Louisiana Tech doled out 10 assists and had 11 steals for the contest. Furthermore, Louisiana Tech pulled down 21 rebounds (7 offensive, 14 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Louisiana Tech ended up going 57.1% at the charity stripe by converting 8 of their 14 tries. They also made 6 of their 19 tries from distance. In relation to fouls, the Panthers finished with 11 and Louisiana Tech finished the game with 16 fouls.

Zawdie Jackson is a player who played a role for the matchup. He racked up 20 points on 6 of 12 shooting. He was on the court for 33 minutes and grabbed 3 rebounds. He finished the contest at 50.0% from the floor and distributed 4 assists.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Today

FIU steps onto the court with a win-loss mark of 12-13 for the year. They lose possession by turning the ball over 12.8 times per contest and as a unit are committing 17.8 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, FIU is snagging 38.6 rebounds per game and has racked up 382 assists this year, which is 147th in the nation in terms of passing the ball. The Panthers are shooting 35.4% on shots from distance (191 of 540) and 68.0% from the charity stripe. They average 81.6 pts per contest (64th in the country) while shooting 45.6% from the field.

On defense, the Panthers have forced 15.3 turnovers per contest while drawing 19.0 personal fouls. They rank 322nd in the country in giving up assists to the opposition with 413 conceded on the campaign. The Panthers are giving up a FG percentage of 42.6% (667 of 1,565) and they concede 37.5 boards per game as a team. They are conceding 34.1% on 3-point shots and they rank 288th in college hoops in PPG from their opponents (77.8).

When they last stepped on the court, the Liberty Flames went home victorious with a score of 73-64 when they played UTEP. The Flames pulled down 18 defensive boards and 7 offensive boards for a total of 25 for the game. They also gave up possession 7 times, while earning 7 steals in this game. UTEP was called for 16 fouls for this game which got the Flames to the free throw line for a total of 18 attempts. They were able to convert 10 of the free throws for a percentage of 55.6%. In regard to shooting from beyond the arc, Liberty converted 9 of their 27 attempts (33.3%). When the final whistle blew, the Flames ended up going 27 out of 54 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 50.0%. The Flames permitted UTEP to make 24 of their 50 tries from the floor which had them at 48.0% in this contest. They finished the game shooting 42.1% from beyond the arc by going 8 of 19 and ended up shooting 8 out of 11 from the free throw line (72.7%). In the matter of how they cleaned up the glass, Liberty permitted UTEP to grab 29 in all (5 offensive).

JJ Harper was important for the Flames in this contest. He tallied 18 points in his 30 mins on the court and had 1 assist in this game. He knocked down 8 of 11 for the contest for a field goal rate of 72.7%, and earned 6 rebounds.

Liberty has a record of 22-3 for the season. The Flames are committing 13.8 personal fouls every game and they go 70.0% from the charity stripe. They are dishing out assists 17.6 times per game (25th in college) and they turn it over 8.5 times per contest. Liberty has accumulated 1,973 pts for the season (78.9 per contest) and they snag 30.0 rebounds per game. When it comes to executing on offense, the Flames are hitting on 52.1% from the floor, which ranks them 2nd in college.

The Liberty defense concedes 35.8% on shots from beyond the perimeter (198 of 553) and opponents are knocking down 70.4% of their free throw attempts. They allow 11.8 dimes and 32.9 rebounds on a nightly basis, which ranks them 56th and 86th in D-1. The Flames defensively are ranked 35th in D-1 in points per game surrendered with 67.7. They are forcing their opponents into 11.6 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 43.7% from the floor (164th in college hoops).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Liberty

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.