Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs Missouri State Bears Prediction, 1/31/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs Missouri State Bears

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Location: Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield, MO

TV: ESPN+

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks (11-9) are traveling to Great Southern Bank Arena on Saturday where they will take on the Missouri State Bears (12-9).

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks faced off with FIU and went home with a win by a final score of 78-74 in their last contest. Jacksonville State wrapped up the contest having earned a 48.1% FG percentage (26 of 54) and made 4 out of their 18 three-point shots. When they shot from the free throw line, the Gamecocks converted 22 of 32 tries for a rate of 68.8%. Regarding pulling down boards, they collected 32 with 6 of them being of the offensive variety. They also doled out 14 assists in the matchup in addition to forcing the other team into 18 turnovers and earning 11 steals. When talking about the defense, Jacksonville State allowed 44.1% from the floor on 26 of 59 shooting. FIU distributed 6 dimes and had 9 steals in this contest. On top of that, FIU collected 34 rebounds (7 offensive, 27 defensive), but didn't have a block. FIU walked away from this one shooting 72.7% at the free throw line by burying 16 of their 22 attempts. They also buried 6 of 21 tries from distance. When it comes to fouls, the Gamecocks walked away with 21 while FIU recorded 23 fouls.

Mostapha El Moutaouakkil is someone who was a factor in this matchup. He notched 31 points on 10 of 18 shooting. He saw the court for 35 minutes and also pulled down 5 rebounds. He ended up going 55.6% from the floor and earned 4 assists.

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Jacksonville State will enter this matchup with a win-loss record of 11-9 this season. They average 73.4 points per contest (256th in D-1) while hitting 44.4% from the floor. The Gamecocks are hitting 35.5% on 3-pointers (164 of 462) and 67.7% from the free throw line. As a unit, Jacksonville State is snagging 37.1 rebounds per contest and has earned 254 assists on the season, which ranks 310th in D-1 in terms of passing the rock. They lose possession by turning the ball over 11.7 times per game and as a team they commit 16.9 personal fouls every game.

When they are on the defensive end, the Gamecocks are able to force 11.6 turnovers per game while drawing 19.1 personal fouls. They concede 30.0% on 3-point shots and they are ranked 26th in college in PPG allowed (66.3). The Gamecocks defense is giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 39.9% (447 of 1,121) and they concede 33.5 rebounds per contest as a squad. They are 8th in the nation in giving up assists with 212 relinquished for the season.

When they last played, the Missouri State Bears took a loss by a final score of 80-71 against Sam Houston State. In reference to how they rebounded, Missouri State permitted Sam Houston State to collect 32 in total (8 on the offensive glass). They finished shooting 30.8% from three-point range via 4 of 13 and finished the contest at 14 of 19 at the charity stripe (73.7%). The Bears allowed Sam Houston State to bury 31 of their 57 tries from the field which gave them a percentage of 54.4% for the matchup. At the conclusion of this game, the Bears shot 27 for 56 from the floor which had them at 48.2%. When discussing shots from 3-point land, Missouri State knocked down 6 out of 15 attempts (40.0%). They were able to knock down 11 of the free throw tries for a rate of 61.1%. Sam Houston State committed 16 fouls in this matchup which took the Bears to the free throw line for a total of 18 shots. They also turned it over 12 times, while earning 10 steals for the contest. The Bears snagged 16 defensive boards and 9 offensive boards totaling 25 in this game.

Michael Osei-Bonsu was important for the Bears in this contest. He earned 22 points in his 21 minutes on the court and earned 1 assist in this contest. He made 8 out of 14 for the game for a field goal percentage of 57.1%, and totaled 1 rebound.

Missouri State has a win-loss record of 12-9 for the year. As an offense, the Bears are shooting 45.1% from the floor, which ranks 193rd in D-1. Missouri State has tallied 1,583 pts this season (75.4 per contest) and they average 35.5 rebounds per game. They are assisting teammates 14.0 times per contest (191st in college hoops) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 11.6 times per contest. The Bears are responsible for committing 17.4 fouls per contest and they connect on 68.2% from the free throw line.

The Bears on defense are ranked 149th in D-1 in points per game surrendered with 72.5. They are forcing their opponents into 11.8 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 44.4% from the floor (219th in college). The Missouri State defense concedes 34.0% on 3-pointers (147 of 432) and opponents are connecting on 70.8% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have given up 13.0 dimes and 33.8 rebounds every game, which is ranked 155th and 142nd in the nation.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Missouri State

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