FIU Panthers vs Sam Houston State Bearkats Prediction, 2/26/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: FIU Panthers vs Sam Houston State Bearkats

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026

Location: Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, TX

TV: ESPN+

Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum is where the Sam Houston State Bearkats (19-8) will go up against the FIU Panthers (13-14) on Thursday.

The FIU Panthers took the court against Missouri State and earned the victory with a final of 70-67 in their last contest. FIU walked away from the game having earned a 47.2% field goal percentage (25 out of 53) and knocked down 4 of their 15 three-point shots. At the free throw line, the Panthers buried 16 of their 24 tries for a rate of 66.7%. In relation to grabbing rebounds, they compiled a total of 28 with 6 of them being offensive. They also doled out 12 dimes for this game as well as forcing the other team into 14 turnovers and earning 7 steals. Concerning defending, FIU allowed the other team to shoot 39.3% from the field on 22 of 56 shooting. Missouri State dished out 15 assists and had 7 steals for this game. Additionally, Missouri State collected 27 boards (7 offensive, 20 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Missouri State ended up going 66.7% from the free throw line by making 14 of their 21 tries. They converted 9 of their 24 shots from long range. In reference to personal fouls, the Panthers walked away with 18 and Missouri State racked up 19 personal fouls.

Julian Mackey is one guy who was a factor for this game. He left the arena with 22 points on 8 of 16 shooting. He saw the court for 27 minutes played and collected 1 rebound. He finished shooting 50.0% from the field but had no dimes when the game ended.

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FIU comes into this game with a win-loss mark of 13-14 on the campaign. They have an average of 81.4 points per contest (66th in the country) while shooting 45.6% from the field. The Panthers are shooting 35.4% on 3-pointers (203 of 574) and 68.5% from the charity stripe. As a team, FIU is pulling down 38.4 boards per game and is sitting with 404 assists on the season, which has them ranked 148th in the nation in terms of passing the rock. They are turning it over 12.8 times per contest and as a squad are committing 17.8 fouls every game.

Defensively, the Panthers are able to force 15.2 turnovers per contest while drawing 18.9 fouls. They relinquish 34.8% on shots from downtown and they are 291st in college in opponents points per game (77.8). The Panthers defense is allowing a FG percentage of 42.8% (719 of 1,680) and they surrender 37.2 boards per game as a squad. They are 333rd in college hoops in giving up assists with 447 relinquished for the campaign.

For their last game, the Sam Houston State Bearkats walked away with a victory by a final of 82-78 when they faced Jacksonville State. The Bearkats pulled down 23 defensive boards and 9 offensive rebounds totaling 32 for this game. They also gave up possession 11 times, while earning 3 steals in the matchup. Jacksonville State committed 22 personal fouls for this contest which took the Bearkats to the charity stripe for 28 attempts. They were able to convert 23 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 82.1%. In relation to shooting from downtown, Sam Houston State converted 7 of 20 attempts (35.0%). When the game finished, the Bearkats shot 26 for 53 from the field which had them shooting 49.1%. The Bearkats permitted Jacksonville State to knock down 28 of 58 attempts from the floor which had them shooting 48.3% for this contest. They finished shooting 38.1% from 3-point land by shooting 8 of 21 and ended up going 14 out of 18 from the free throw line (77.8%). With respect to how they attacked the glass, Sam Houston State permitted Jacksonville State to collect 26 overall (6 offensive).

Po'Boigh King was important for the Bearkats for this contest. He converted 5 out of 13 in this contest for a rate of 38.5%, but went home without a rebound. He racked up 19 points in his 35 mins of playing time and earned 2 dimes for the contest.

Sam Houston State has a record of 19-8 for the campaign. When it comes to executing on offense, the Bearkats are hitting on 46.7% from the floor, which ranks 101st in the nation. Sam Houston State has accounted for 2,234 pts so far this season (82.7 per game) and they pull in 40.9 rebounds per contest. Their rate of earning assists is at 15.6 times per contest (86th in college) and they lose possession via turnover 12.0 times per contest. The Bearkats commit 17.6 fouls every game and they shoot 73.0% from the free throw line.

The Sam Houston State defense allows 30.6% on shots from beyond the arc (214 of 699) and opponents are converting on 69.6% of their free throw shots. They have given up 12.7 assists and 34.3 rebounds on a nightly basis, which has them ranked 126th and 181st in D-1. The Bearkats on defense are ranked 190th in college in PPG given up with 74.0. They are forcing their opponents into 11.6 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 41.7% from the field (58th in D-1).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take FIU

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