Houston Christian Huskies vs New Orleans Privateers Prediction, 3/8/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Christian Huskies vs New Orleans Privateers

Date: Sunday, March 8, 2026

Location: Townsley Law Arena in Lake Charles, LA

TV: ESPN+

The Houston Christian Huskies (12-19) are en route to Townsley Law Arena on Sunday where they will take on the New Orleans Privateers (14-17) in the Southland Tournament.

The Houston Christian Huskies faced Lamar and walked away with a win by a score of 75-53 in their last contest. Houston Christian ended with a 53.1% field goal percentage (26 of 49) and converted 5 of 16 shots from beyond the perimeter. At the charity stripe, the Huskies knocked down 18 of 24 attempts for a percentage of 75.0%. With respect to rebounding, they compiled a total of 34 with 6 of them being of the offensive variety. They also doled out 16 dimes for this game while forcing the opposition into 14 turnovers and having 11 steals. Concerning the defense, Houston Christian let their opponent shoot 32.8% from the field on 21 out of 64 shooting. Lamar doled out 9 dimes and had 9 steals for the contest. Furthermore, Lamar grabbed 31 boards (15 offensive, 16 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. Lamar ended up shooting 53.8% from the charity stripe by knocking down 7 of their 13 attempts. They buried 4 of their 22 tries from beyond the arc. In relation to personal fouls, the Huskies finished with 13 and Lamar totaled 17 personal fouls.

Ryan Bartley is someone who came through in this matchup. He shot 50.0% from the floor and also dished out 3 assists. He saw the court for 37 minutes played and snagged 5 boards. He ended up scoring 15 points on 6 of 12 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Betting Picks

Houston Christian comes into this game with a win-loss mark of 12-19 so far this year. They average 67.3 points per contest (340th in the country) while hitting 44.2% from the field. The Huskies are hitting 31.0% on shots from beyond the arc (187 of 603) and 70.2% from the free throw line. As a unit, Houston Christian is snagging 32.1 boards per game and has accumulated 434 assists on the campaign, which ranks 153rd in the country in terms of passing the ball. They turn it over 12.5 times per game and as a unit are committing 15.1 personal fouls every game.

On the defensive end of the court, the Huskies are forcing 11.8 turnovers per game while drawing 15.8 personal fouls. They are surrendering 34.7% from 3-point land and they are 128th in the nation in PPG allowed (72.1). The Huskies defense is giving up a FG percentage of 47.3% (822 of 1,737) and they surrender 33.2 rebounds per contest as a team. They are currently ranked 250th in D-1 in giving up assists to the opposition with 435 conceded for the season.

When they last stepped on the court, the New Orleans Privateers took a defeat with a final score of 82-78 when they played SE Louisiana. In relation to how they rebounded, New Orleans allowed SE Louisiana to collect 30 overall (9 on the offensive side). They went 36.0% from distance by connecting on 9 out of 25 and ended up going 17 of 25 from the free throw line (68.0%). The Privateers allowed SE Louisiana to convert 28 of their 64 tries from the field which had them shooting 43.8% in the matchup. When the final whistle was blown, the Privateers finished shooting 29 for 61 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 47.5%. With respect to three-point attempts, New Orleans buried 5 out of their 17 tries (29.4%). They were able to make 15 of the free throw attempts for a clip of 65.2%. SE Louisiana had 17 fouls in the game which took the Privateers to the charity stripe for 23 shots. They also turned it over 13 times, while recording 6 steals in this game. The Privateers snagged 25 defensive boards and 9 offensive rebounds for a total of 34 for this game.

Jakevion Buckley was important for the Privateers in this contest. He racked up 28 points in his 36 mins of playing time and added 13 assists for the matchup. He made 12 out of 17 for the contest giving him a rate of 70.6%, and earned 5 rebounds.

New Orleans has a mark of 14-17 on the campaign. The Privateers commit 19.7 fouls per game and they connect on 74.7% from the free throw line. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 13.0 times per contest (251st in college hoops) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 14.6 times per contest. New Orleans has accounted for 2,325 points on the season (75.0 per contest) and they pull down 37.5 boards per game. When it comes to offense, the Privateers are hitting on 44.5% from the floor, which ranks them 227th in college hoops.

The Privateers on defense are ranked 305th in D-1 in points allowed per contest with 78.4. They are forcing 10.2 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 42.3% from the floor (78th in D-1). The New Orleans defense gives up 32.0% on shots from behind the 3-point line (247 of 771) and their opponents are making 72.3% of their free throw attempts. They have relinquished 15.9 assists and 35.3 rebounds on a nightly basis, which ranks them 331st and 240th in the country.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Houston Christian

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.