Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs Liberty Flames Prediction, 1/4/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs Liberty Flames

Date: Sunday, January 4, 2026

Location: Liberty Arena in Lynchburg, VA

TV: ESPN+

Liberty Arena is the site where the Liberty Flames (9-3) will attempt to defeat the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (6-6) on Sunday.

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks stepped onto the hardwood against Western Kentucky and notched a win by a score of 78-67 in their last game. Jacksonville State ended the contest having earned a 55.3% FG percentage (21 out of 38) and converted 9 out of their 18 shots from beyond the perimeter. From the free throw line, the Gamecocks made 27 of 39 tries for a percentage of 69.2%. In the matter of rebounding, they compiled 32 with 4 of them being on the offensive end. They also dished out 11 dimes for the game while forcing the other team into 11 turnovers and having 5 steals. With regard to the defense, Jacksonville State allowed the other team to go 30.6% from the field on 22 of 72 shooting. Western Kentucky recorded 10 assists and had 10 steals for this contest. Moreover, Western Kentucky collected 28 rebounds (13 offensive, 15 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Western Kentucky shot 66.7% from the free throw line by making 14 of 21 shots. They also converted 9 out of their 36 attempts from distance. In the matter of personal fouls, the Gamecocks ended up finishing with 16 and Western Kentucky recorded 27 personal fouls.

AC Bryant is a player who was a major factor for this game. He ended up going 70.0% from the field and recorded 1 assist. He saw the court for 35 mins played and also totaled 7 boards. He accounted for 23 points on 7 of 10 shooting.

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Jacksonville State steps onto the hardwood with a record of 6-6 this season. They are turning it over 11.8 times per contest and as a team are committing 17.0 personal fouls per contest. As a team, Jacksonville State is collecting 40.8 boards per game and has accumulated 160 dimes for the season, which ranks 332nd in the nation in terms of passing. The Gamecocks are hitting 34.4% on three-point attempts (105 of 305) and 64.6% from the charity stripe. They have an average of 74.9 pts per game (245th in D-1) while hitting 43.9% from the floor.

When they are on defense, the Gamecocks are able to force 12.1 turnovers per contest and they draw 19.8 fouls. They are giving up 27.6% on shots from beyond the perimeter and they are ranked 14th in college hoops in PPG allowed (63.6). The Gamecocks defensively are allowing a field goal percentage of 36.7% (250 of 682) and they concede 35.0 boards per contest as a squad. They are currently ranked 6th in college hoops in allowing assists to their opponents with 120 relinquished this year.

When they last stepped on the court, the Liberty Flames took home the win by a final score of 97-94 against FIU. The Flames recorded 18 defensive boards and 8 offensive boards totaling 26 in this matchup. They gave up possession of the ball 9 times, while earning 7 steals for this contest. FIU had 20 personal fouls for this game which got the Flames to the free throw line for a total of 16 tries. They were able to knock down 12 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 75.0%. Regarding three-point shots, Liberty converted 15 of 40 attempts (37.5%). When the game finished, the Flames ended up going 35 out of 69 from the floor which had them at 50.7%. The Flames permitted FIU to convert 36 of 73 attempts from the floor which had them at 49.3% in the matchup. They finished 35.3% from distance by shooting 6 out of 17 and finished the contest at 16 out of 23 from the charity stripe (69.6%). When it comes to rebounding, Liberty permitted FIU to snag 44 in all (19 on the offensive glass).

Brett Decker Jr. ended up having an impact for the Flames for the matchup. He earned 27 points in his 41 mins of playing time and accounted for 2 assists for this game. He made 9 out of 18 for the contest giving him a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and had 3 rebounds.

Liberty has a mark of 9-3 for the season. As an offense, the Flames are shooting 53.0% from the field, which is 6th in college. Liberty has 979 pts on the year (81.6 per game) and they collect 31.5 boards per contest. They are earning an assist 18.6 times per contest (30th in the nation) and they are turning it over 8.9 times per contest. The Flames are responsible for committing 14.8 personal fouls per game and they hit 63.1% from the charity stripe.

The Liberty defense allows 33.9% from downtown (84 of 248) and opponents are knocking down 72.8% of their foul shots. They have allowed 11.7 dimes and 33.1 rebounds per contest, which has them ranked 65th and 108th in those categories on the defensive end. The Flames on the defensive end are ranked 62nd in D-1 in PPG allowed with 67.7. They are able to force 11.8 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 43.3% from the floor (174th in college hoops).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Liberty

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