FIU Panthers vs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Prediction, 2/28/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: FIU Panthers vs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Date: Saturday, February 28, 2026

Location: Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, LA

TV: ESPN+

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (16-12) will go up against the FIU Panthers (13-15) at Thomas Assembly Center on Saturday.

The FIU Panthers faced off with Sam Houston State and took a loss by a score of 100-67 in their last game. FIU finished the contest having earned a 38.9% FG percentage (21 of 54) and made 3 out of their 18 three-point shots. From the free throw line, the Panthers converted 22 of their 29 shots for a percentage of 75.9%. When talking about rebounding, they earned a total of 22 with 6 of them being of the offensive sort. They also doled out 6 assists for the matchup while forcing 13 turnovers and getting 4 steals. In relation to defense, FIU allowed their opponent to shoot 60.3% from the field on 35 of 58 shooting. Sam Houston State distributed 20 dimes and had 12 steals for this contest. On top of that, Sam Houston State pulled down 38 boards (11 offensive, 27 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. Sam Houston State finished 80.0% from the charity stripe by converting 20 of their 25 attempts. They buried 10 of 16 shots from distance. With respect to fouls, the Panthers left the arena with 21 and Sam Houston State totaled 21 fouls.

Corey Stephenson is a guy who was a factor in this contest. He ended up finishing with 18 points on 6 out of 13 shooting. He saw the court for 31 minutes played and also snagged 2 boards. He walked away from this one shooting 46.2% from the field but wasn't able to get an assist.

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FIU will enter this contest with a mark of 13-15 for the campaign. They lose possession by turning the ball over 12.9 times per contest and as a group they commit 17.9 personal fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, FIU is collecting 37.9 rebounds per game and has earned 410 dimes this season, which is 152nd in college in terms of passing the ball. The Panthers are shooting 34.8% on three-point shots (206 of 592) and 68.8% from the charity stripe. They are averaging 80.9 pts per game (71st in college hoops) while hitting 45.4% from the field.

On defense, the Panthers are forcing their opponents into 15.2 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 19.0 personal fouls. They rank 334th in college in giving up assists to the opposition with 467 surrendered so far this year. The Panthers defense is allowing a field goal percentage of 43.4% (754 of 1,738) and they concede 37.3 boards per game as a unit. They are giving up 35.4% on three-point shots and they are 306th in college in opponents PPG (78.6).

The last time they took the court, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs took home the win by a final score of 72-70 against Missouri State. The Bulldogs were able to corral 21 defensive boards and 8 offensive rebounds totaling 29 in this game. They also coughed up the ball 14 times, while getting 7 steals for the matchup. Missouri State had 17 fouls for this contest which took the Bulldogs to the free throw line for a total of 24 shots. They were able to bury 15 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 62.5%. In regard to 3-point shots, Louisiana Tech knocked down 9 of 25 tries (36.0%). In all, the Bulldogs shot 24 out of 50 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 48.0%. The Bulldogs allowed Missouri State to make 22 of their 54 attempts from the field which had them at 40.7% for the matchup. They finished 35.3% from downtown by shooting 6 of 17 and finished the game at 20 out of 24 at the charity stripe (83.3%). In reference to how they rebounded, Louisiana Tech permitted Missouri State to grab 30 in all (12 on the offensive side).

DJ Dudley ended up being a major contributor for the Bulldogs in the matchup. He converted 10 out of 19 for this contest giving him a rate of 52.6%, and accumulated 3 rebounds. He had 27 points in his 38 mins on the court and added 2 assists in this contest.

Louisiana Tech has a record of 16-12 on the campaign. The Bulldogs commit 16.1 fouls every game and they connect on 65.0% from the free throw line. They are getting an assist 12.2 times per contest (304th in college) and they are turning it over 12.6 times per game. Louisiana Tech has accumulated 1,933 points for the campaign (69.0 per game) and they grab 38.9 rebounds per game. When it comes to executing on offense, the Bulldogs are connecting on 43.6% from the floor, which ranks them 280th in college.

The Louisiana Tech defense allows 32.1% on shots from distance (229 of 713) and opponents are connecting on 69.1% of their foul shots. They concede 11.8 dimes and 33.6 total rebounds per game, which is 55th and 131st in the nation. The Bulldogs on the defensive end are ranked 11th in college hoops in points given up per game with 64.7. They are forcing their opponents into 12.3 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 39.1% from the field (8th in college hoops).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take FIU

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