Lamar Cardinals vs Nicholls State Colonels Prediction, 1/17/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Lamar Cardinals vs Nicholls Colonels

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026

Location: David R. Stopher Gymnasium in Thibodaux, LA

TV: ESPN+

The Lamar Cardinals (9-8) are headed to David R. Stopher Gymnasium on Saturday where they will go up against the Nicholls Colonels (8-9).

The Lamar Cardinals faced Houston Christian and notched a win by a score of 64-56 in their last game. Lamar wrapped up the contest with a 45.5% FG percentage (20 of 44) and made 7 of their 18 three-point attempts. When they shot from the free throw line, the Cardinals made 17 of their 23 attempts for a percentage of 73.9%. In the matter of rebounding, they compiled 30 with 8 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 14 assists in the game as well as forcing 12 turnovers and earning 9 steals. In the matter of defense, Lamar allowed their opponent to shoot 34.0% from the floor on 18 of 53 shooting. Houston Christian distributed 13 assists and had 7 steals in the game. On top of that, Houston Christian grabbed 32 rebounds (12 offensive, 20 defensive), but wrapped up the game with no rejections. Houston Christian went 69.6% when shooting free throws by knocking down 16 of their 23 attempts. They converted 4 of 20 tries from beyond the arc. With respect to fouls, the Cardinals ended up finishing with 17 and Houston Christian totaled 21 fouls.

Rob Lee Jr. is a guy who played a role in the game. He walked away from this one shooting 69.2% from the floor and also distributed 1 assist. He played 27 minutes played and also totaled 7 rebounds. He accounted for 31 points on 9 out of 13 shooting.

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Lamar comes into this matchup with a mark of 9-8 this season. They are averaging 70.4 points per game (308th in college) while shooting 42.8% from the floor. The Cardinals are hitting 32.5% on 3-point shots (116 of 357) and 70.9% from the free throw line. As a unit, Lamar is collecting 37.5 boards per game and has earned 245 dimes for the campaign, which is 197th in the nation in terms of passing the ball. They lose possession by turning the ball over 12.2 times per contest and as a unit they are committing 18.0 fouls on a nightly basis.

When they are on the defensive end, the Cardinals are forcing 13.4 turnovers per game while drawing 16.3 fouls. They are ranked 74th in D-1 in giving up assists with 206 relinquished for the season. The Cardinals are allowing an opponent FG percentage of 42.2% (378 of 896) and they relinquish 33.5 rebounds per contest as a team. They are giving up 34.2% on 3-point attempts while they are 28th in Division 1 in points per game allowed (66.5).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Nicholls Colonels took a loss by a final score of 94-68 against McNeese State. Regarding how they cleaned up the glass, Nicholls State allowed McNeese State to collect 36 in all (8 on the offensive side). They finished 47.8% from 3-point land by shooting 11 of 23 and finished the game at 19 out of 22 at the free throw line (86.4%). The Colonels allowed McNeese State to convert 32 of their 62 attempts from the field which had them sitting at 51.6% for the matchup. When the game finished, the Colonels finished shooting 24 for 59 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 40.7%. When talking about shots from beyond the arc, Nicholls State made 12 of their 33 attempts (36.4%). They were able to make 8 of them for a percentage of 57.1%. McNeese State was called for 15 personal fouls in the matchup which got the Colonels to the free throw line for a total of 14 shots. They also turned it over 19 times, while earning 9 steals for the matchup. The Colonels were able to collect 18 defensive boards and 10 offensive rebounds for a total of 28 for this contest.

Christian Winborne ended up being a major contributor for the Colonels in the matchup. He knocked down 5 out of 9 for this contest giving him a rate of 55.6%, and totaled 3 rebounds. He totaled 17 points in his 30 mins on the court and had 5 dimes for the game.

Nicholls State has a mark of 8-9 on the campaign. As an offense, the Colonels are shooting 44.4% from the field, which has them ranked 241st in the country. Nicholls State has accounted for 1,290 pts for the year (75.9 per contest) and they collect 31.2 rebounds per game. They are getting an assist 14.3 times per game (191st in the country) and they lose possession via turnover 11.9 times per game. The Colonels have committed 18.3 fouls per game and they shoot 64.8% from the free throw line.

The Colonels on defense are ranked 257th in D-1 in PPG surrendered with 76.4. They are forcing 15.8 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 48.4% from the field (353rd in D-1). The Nicholls State defense concedes 35.7% on 3-point shots (122 of 342) and their opponents are making 76.6% of their foul shots. They have conceded 15.3 dimes and 35.7 rebounds per game, which is 300th and 246th in college hoops.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Lamar

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