FIU Panthers vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Prediction, 2/7/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: FIU Panthers vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026

Location: E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, KY

TV: ESPN+

The FIU Panthers (11-11) are on their way to E.A. Diddle Arena on Saturday where they will go up against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (12-10).

The FIU Panthers stepped onto the hardwood against MTSU and went home with a win by a final score of 88-84 in their last game. When talking about fouls, the Panthers ended up with 21 while MTSU recorded 23 fouls. They also knocked down 13 of their 44 tries from beyond the perimeter. MTSU finished the game shooting 69.7% from the charity stripe by making 23 of 33 attempts. Additionally, MTSU snagged 36 rebounds (7 offensive, 29 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. MTSU dished out 19 dimes and had 9 steals in this matchup. When talking about the defense, FIU allowed the other team to shoot 37.5% from the floor on 24 of 64 shooting. They also distributed 8 assists for the contest as well as forcing 11 turnovers and earning 7 steals. Regarding hauling in rebounds, they compiled a total of 43 with 9 of them being of the offensive variety. At the free throw line, the Panthers converted 26 of 37 attempts for a rate of 70.3%. FIU ended having earned a 45.3% FG percentage (29 of 64) and made 4 of 12 shots from downtown.

Corey Stephenson is a player who came through for this game. He finished the game at 59.1% from the floor and also recorded 1 assist. He was on the hardwood for 38 minutes played and collected 9 boards. He walked away with 34 points on 13 of 22 shooting.

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FIU enters this one with a win-loss mark of 11-11 on the campaign. They are averaging 83.0 points per contest (57th in the country) while going 46.0% from the field. The Panthers are connecting on 35.2% on shots from downtown (167 of 475) and 67.7% from the free throw line. As a team, FIU is collecting 38.9 rebounds per game and has 341 dimes this year, which has them ranked 134th in D-1 in terms of passing the ball. They lose possession via turnover 12.8 times per contest and as a squad are committing 18.6 personal fouls per game.

Defensively, the Panthers have forced 15.6 turnovers every game while drawing 19.7 fouls. They currently rank 333rd in college in allowing assists with 373 conceded on the campaign. The Panthers are giving up an opponent FG percentage of 42.7% (589 of 1,381) and they relinquish 37.8 rebounds per game as a squad. They are giving up 34.2% on 3-pointers and they rank 305th in college in points per game allowed (78.7).

In their last game, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers walked away with a victory by a final of 65-60 against MTSU. The Hilltoppers snagged 24 defensive rebounds and 10 offensive boards totaling 34 for this contest. They also turned it over 8 times, while getting 7 steals for this contest. MTSU had 13 personal fouls for this contest which got the Hilltoppers to the charity stripe for 10 attempts. They were able to make 8 of the free throws for a percentage of 80.0%. In terms of shots from distance, Western Kentucky made 9 of their 28 attempts (32.1%). When the final whistle blew, the Hilltoppers went 24 for 64 from the floor which had them shooting 37.5%. The Hilltoppers allowed MTSU to bury 20 of their 50 attempts from the field which had them shooting 40.0% in this matchup. They wrapped up this game 21.1% from three-point range by shooting 4 out of 19 and ended up shooting 16 of 29 from the free throw line (55.2%). With respect to how they attacked the glass, Western Kentucky permitted MTSU to grab 39 in all (8 offensive).

Kade Unseld ended up being a major contributor for the Hilltoppers in the matchup. He converted 6 of 13 in this matchup giving him a rate of 46.2%, and accounted for 4 rebounds. He earned 17 points in his 30 minutes on the hardwood and tallied 1 assist for this contest.

Western Kentucky has a mark of 12-10 so far this season. When it comes to executing on offense, the Hilltoppers are shooting 39.9% from the field, which ranks them 357th in college. Western Kentucky has totaled 1,709 pts on the season (77.7 per contest) and they average 41.0 rebounds per contest. They are earning an assist 12.8 times per game (276th in college) and they turn the ball over 10.6 times per game. The Hilltoppers are committing 19.4 fouls every game and they hit 74.2% from the charity stripe.

The Hilltoppers are ranked 215th in Division 1 in points per game surrendered with 74.8. They are forcing their opponents into 12.8 TO's every game and have allowed teams to shoot 42.1% from the field (85th in college). The Western Kentucky defense allows 34.9% on three-point shots (198 of 567) and opponents are connecting on 68.3% of their free throw shots. They have relinquished 14.7 dimes and 38.5 boards per contest, which ranks them 275th and 344th in those defensive categories.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Western Kentucky

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