Gardner-Webb Bulldogs vs UNC Asheville Bulldogs Prediction, 1/29/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Gardner-Webb Bulldogs vs UNC Asheville Bulldogs

Date: Thursday, January 29, 2026

Location: Kimmel Arena in Asheville, NC

TV: ESPN+

Kimmel Arena is where the UNC Asheville Bulldogs (9-12) will try to beat the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs (3-19) on Thursday.

The Gardner-Webb Bulldogs stepped onto the hardwood against USC Upstate and took home the win by a score of 67-65 in their last contest. When discussing fouls, the Bulldogs ended up finishing with 19 and USC Upstate accumulated 17 fouls. They buried 7 of their 21 tries from 3-point range. USC Upstate went 72.7% from the free throw line by converting 16 of 22 tries. Additionally, USC Upstate grabbed 31 rebounds (10 offensive, 21 defensive), but wrapped up the game with no rejections. USC Upstate doled out 11 assists and had 3 steals for the contest. In regard to the defense, Gardner-Webb allowed the other team to go 37.5% from the field on 21 of 56 shooting. They also recorded 7 assists for this contest in addition to forcing the other team into 10 turnovers and earning 8 steals. When discussing rebounding, they earned 37 with 10 of them being offensive. From the charity stripe, the Bulldogs made 10 of 13 attempts for a rate of 76.9%. Gardner-Webb wrapped up the game with a 43.3% FG percentage (26 of 60) and made 5 of their 17 3-point shots.

Jacob Hogarth is a player who was a factor in this matchup. He ended up with 17 points on 7 out of 12 shooting. He was on the court for 27 mins and totaled 11 rebounds. He shot 58.3% from the field but didn't record an assist.

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Gardner-Webb enters this matchup with a record of 3-19 on the year. They average 68.5 points per game (328th in the country) while hitting 41.7% from the field. The Bulldogs are shooting 30.5% on 3-point shots (152 of 499) and 70.6% from the charity stripe. As a team, Gardner-Webb is collecting 31.5 boards per contest and is sitting with 225 dimes for the season, which ranks 342nd in the country in terms of passing. They turn the ball over 14.2 times per game and as a unit are committing 17.7 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

When they are on defense, the Bulldogs are forcing 10.9 turnovers per game while drawing 15.9 personal fouls. They give up 36.3% from beyond the arc while they are 363rd in D-1 in opponents PPG (87.8). Bulldogs are giving up and opponent field goal percentage of 50.1% (691 of 1,378) and they surrender 39.5 boards per game as a group. They are 361st in the country in allowing assists to their opponents with 392 relinquished so far this year.

In their last game, the UNC Asheville Bulldogs got the win with a final of 83-69 when they played USC Upstate. In regard to cleaning up the glass, UNC Asheville allowed USC Upstate to collect 25 in total (7 offensive). They wrapped up this game 33.3% from beyond the perimeter by connecting on 7 out of 21 and ended up shooting 8 out of 15 from the charity stripe (53.3%). The Bulldogs allowed USC Upstate to knock down 27 of their 61 attempts from the floor which had them sitting at 44.3% for the matchup. When the final whistle was blown, the Bulldogs went 29 for 56 from the floor which had them shooting 51.8%. When talking about shooting from beyond the arc, UNC Asheville buried 8 out of their 15 attempts (53.3%). They were able to bury 17 of the free throws for a rate of 77.3%. USC Upstate earned 17 personal fouls for the contest which took the Bulldogs to the charity stripe for a total of 22 tries. They also coughed up the ball 8 times, while getting 6 steals for the matchup. The Bulldogs were able to snag 26 defensive rebounds and 6 offensive rebounds totaling 32 in this game.

Kameron Taylor was important for the Bulldogs in the matchup. He knocked down 8 of 15 in the game for a rate of 53.3%, and had 2 rebounds. He accumulated 27 points in his 35 mins of playing time and totaled 1 assist in this game.

UNC Asheville has a mark of 9-12 for the campaign. On the offensive side of the court, the Bulldogs are hitting on 46.1% from the field, which is 142nd in college. UNC Asheville has tallied 1,567 points for the year (74.6 per game) and they snag 35.3 boards per game. Their rate of earning assists is at 11.2 times per contest (342nd in college hoops) and they are turning it over 12.9 times per contest. The Bulldogs commit 18.4 personal fouls every game and they go 70.0% from the free throw line.

The UNC Asheville defense concedes 32.2% on three-point shots (136 of 423) and their opponents are connecting on 67.8% of their shots from the free throw line. They concede 12.1 assists and 33.0 rebounds on a nightly basis, which has them ranked 81st and 90th in Division 1. The Bulldogs defensively are ranked 167th in Division 1 in PPG allowed with 73.0. They are able to force 11.0 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 44.6% from the floor (233rd in college).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Gardner-Webb

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