Indiana State Sycamores vs Evansville Purple Aces Prediction, 2/3/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Indiana State Sycamores vs Evansville Purple Aces

Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Location: Ford Center in Evansville, IN

TV: ESPN+

Ford Center is the location where the Evansville Purple Aces (5-16) will take on the Indiana State Sycamores (9-13) on Tuesday.

The Indiana State Sycamores faced Valparaiso and went home with a loss by a final score of 76-72 in their last contest. In relation to fouls, the Sycamores left the arena with 21 and Valparaiso racked up 18 fouls. They converted 3 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc. Valparaiso finished shooting 65.4% when shooting free throws by making 17 of 26 attempts. Additionally, Valparaiso totaled 38 rebounds (12 offensive, 26 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. Valparaiso doled out 10 dimes and had 8 steals for the game. In reference to the defense, Indiana State let their opponent shoot 43.8% from the field on 28 out of 64 shooting. They also recorded 13 dimes for the contest as well as forcing the other team into 8 turnovers and getting 3 steals. In relation to getting rebounds, they collected 26 with 4 of them being offensive. From the free throw line, the Sycamores converted 12 of 21 shots for a percentage of 57.1%. Indiana State wrapped up the game having earned a 45.8% field goal percentage (27 out of 59) and made 6 of their 25 3-point attempts.

Derek Vorst is a player who was important for the matchup. He ended up going 71.4% from the floor but finished the game without a dime. He was on the hardwood for 31 minutes played and also grabbed 3 rebounds. He accounted for 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting.

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Indiana State steps onto the hardwood with a win-loss record of 9-13 on the year. They turn it over 13.7 times per contest and as a group they are committing 15.8 fouls per contest. As a team, Indiana State is snagging 35.8 boards per game and is sitting with 390 assists on the season, which is 20th in the nation in terms of passing. The Sycamores are connecting on 31.0% on shots from beyond the arc (183 of 590) and 69.3% from the free throw line. They average 75.5 points per contest (205th in Division 1) while shooting 46.4% from the field.

On the defensive end of the court, the Sycamores are forcing 11.0 turnovers per game while drawing 15.7 personal fouls. They give up 32.3% on three-point shots while they are 223rd in D-1 in points per game allowed (75.2). The Sycamores defense is giving up a FG percentage of 44.3% (617 of 1,392) and they surrender 36.3 rebounds per game as a unit. They currently rank 94th in college in giving up assists with 262 surrendered for the campaign.

In their last game, the Evansville Purple Aces took a loss by a final score of 71-55 when they played UNI. Concerning rebounds, Evansville allowed UNI to grab 31 in total (6 on the offensive side). They finished 35.7% from distance by going 10 out of 28 and walked away from this one shooting 3 of 4 from the free throw line (75.0%). The Purple Aces permitted UNI to convert 29 out of 53 attempts from the field which left them with a rate of 54.7% for the matchup. When the game finished, the Purple Aces finished 21 for 52 from the field which gave them a rate of 40.4%. Concerning 3-point attempts, Evansville converted 7 out of their 26 tries (26.9%). They were able to make 6 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 85.7%. UNI was called for 9 fouls for this game which took the Purple Aces to the charity stripe for 7 shots. They also turned it over 6 times, while earning 7 steals in this matchup. The Purple Aces corralled 18 defensive boards and 5 offensive rebounds totaling 23 in this game.

AJ Casey ended up being a factor for the Purple Aces for the matchup. He racked up 17 points in his 35 mins of playing time and accumulated 4 assists in the matchup. He buried 8 out of 14 for the contest giving him a field goal percentage of 57.1%, and had 11 rebounds.

Evansville has a win-loss mark of 5-16 so far this year. When it comes to offense, the Purple Aces are hitting on 42.7% from the floor, which has them ranked 308th in college hoops. Evansville has accounted for 1,423 points for the year (67.8 per contest) and they average 33.3 rebounds per game. They are dishing out assists 13.6 times per game (221st in college) and they turn the ball over 13.8 times per game. The Purple Aces commit 17.3 personal fouls every game while shooting 71.5% from the charity stripe.

The Evansville defense surrenders 34.5% on 3-pointers (172 of 498) and opponents are connecting on 72.3% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have surrendered 13.6 dimes and 35.6 boards per contest, which has them ranked 201st and 253rd in Division 1. The Purple Aces on defense are ranked 201st in college hoops in points allowed per game with 74.2. They are able to force 11.5 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 44.4% from the floor (217th in college).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Indiana State

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