Kennesaw State Owls vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Prediction, 1/17/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kennesaw State Owls vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026

Location: E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, KY

TV: ESPN+

The Kennesaw State Owls (11-6) are en route to E.A. Diddle Arena on Saturday where they will take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (11-6).

The Kennesaw State Owls faced FIU and went home with a win by a final score of 89-86 in their last contest. Kennesaw State wrapped up the contest having earned a 43.1% FG percentage (28 out of 65) and made 16 of 35 three-point shots. At the charity stripe, the Owls converted 17 of their 29 tries for a rate of 58.6%. In regard to pulling down rebounds, they earned 37 with 16 of them being on the offensive end. They also recorded 18 assists for this contest while forcing the opposition into 10 turnovers and earning 5 steals. Pertaining to defense, Kennesaw State allowed the other team to shoot 40.8% from the floor on 29 of 71 shooting. FIU earned 12 assists and had 10 steals in this game. Furthermore, FIU had 41 rebounds (16 offensive, 25 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. FIU finished shooting 72.0% at the charity stripe by knocking down 18 of 25 shots. They also knocked down 10 out of their 22 attempts from distance. In reference to fouls, the Owls left the arena with 19 and FIU accumulated 23 fouls.

Simeon Cottle is someone who was a contributor in this contest. He left the arena with 28 points on 6 of 12 shooting. He was on the court for 40 minutes played and snagged 3 rebounds. He finished the game shooting 50.0% from the floor and recorded 4 assists.

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Kennesaw State will enter this matchup with a win-loss mark of 11-6 this season. They are averaging 88.9 points per outing (16th in Division 1) while hitting 45.3% from the field. The Owls are hitting 34.5% on shots from beyond the arc (171 of 495) and 69.2% from the charity stripe. As a team, Kennesaw State is grabbing 44.8 boards per game and has racked up 259 assists so far this year, which is 151st in D-1 in terms of passing the rock. They lose possession via turnover 13.2 times per contest and as a squad they commit 21.0 fouls per contest.

When they are on defense, the Owls are forcing their opponents into 13.3 turnovers per game and they draw 20.4 fouls. They currently rank 24th in the country in giving up assists to their opponents with 185 relinquished for the year. The Owls defense is allowing a field goal percentage of 39.6% (417 of 1,052) and they surrender 35.9 boards per contest as a unit. They surrender 33.4% on 3-pointers while they are 269th in college in PPG allowed (76.9).

When they last stepped on the court, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers walked away with a victory by a final of 87-72 when they played Missouri State. Concerning attacking the glass, Western Kentucky permitted Missouri State to grab 26 overall (11 on the offensive side). They shot 25.7% from beyond the perimeter by going 9 out of 35 and finished the contest at 15 of 20 at the free throw line (75.0%). The Hilltoppers allowed Missouri State to knock down 24 out of 57 tries from the floor which gave them a percentage of 42.1% for the game. When the final whistle blew, the Hilltoppers finished shooting 28 for 55 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 50.9%. When it comes to shooting from distance, Western Kentucky made 7 out of their 16 tries (43.8%). They were able to make 24 of the free throw attempts for a clip of 82.8%. Missouri State was called for 18 personal fouls for this game which got the Hilltoppers to the charity stripe for a total of 29 tries. They also turned the ball over 6 times, while earning 8 steals in this game. The Hilltoppers pulled down 21 defensive boards and 10 offensive rebounds for a total of 31 for this game.

Teagan Moore ended up having an impact for the Hilltoppers in this matchup. He racked up 19 points in his 25 minutes on the hardwood and tallied 2 dimes for the matchup. He made 7 of 8 for the contest for a rate of 87.5%, and accounted for 7 rebounds.

Western Kentucky has a mark of 11-6 on the campaign. The Hilltoppers commit 19.4 fouls every game and they hit 74.1% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 13.4 times per contest (251st in Division 1) and they are losing possession via turnover 10.4 times per contest. Western Kentucky has accounted for 1,383 points for the campaign (81.4 per contest) and they collect 42.0 boards per game. On the offensive side of the ball, the Hilltoppers are connecting on 41.4% from the field, which has them ranked 333rd in the country.

The Hilltoppers on defense are ranked 237th in college in PPG given up with 75.5. They are forcing 13.3 TO's every game and have allowed teams to shoot 41.6% from the field (76th in Division 1). The Western Kentucky defense allows 33.6% on 3-point shots (152 of 453) and opponents are knocking down 70.3% of their shots from the charity stripe. They surrender 14.8 assists and 38.4 rebounds on a nightly basis, which ranks them 275th and 338th in those defensive categories.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Kennesaw State

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