Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs Sam Houston State Bearkats Prediction, 1/31/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs Sam Houston State Bearkats

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Location: Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, TX

TV: ESPN2

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (12-8) are headed to Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum on Saturday where they will take on the Sam Houston State Bearkats (14-7).

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs faced off with UTEP and walked away with a win by a score of 69-59 in their last contest. With respect to fouls, the Bulldogs ended up finishing with 16 while UTEP totaled 16 fouls. They also converted 8 of 23 attempts from beyond the arc. UTEP ended up shooting 89.5% from the charity stripe by burying 17 of their 19 shots. On top of that, UTEP collected 24 rebounds (6 offensive, 18 defensive), but didn't notch a block. UTEP distributed 11 dimes and had 7 steals in the game. Concerning defense, Louisiana Tech allowed the other team to shoot 31.5% from the floor on 17 of 54 shooting. They also distributed 12 dimes in the game while forcing the other team into 10 turnovers and earning 6 steals. When talking about rebounding, they collected 38 with 13 of them being offensive. From the charity stripe, the Bulldogs knocked down 14 of their 18 attempts for a percentage of 77.8%. Louisiana Tech ended having earned a 45.3% FG percentage (24 of 53) and buried 7 of their 16 3-point attempts.

DJ Dudley is one guy who was a major contributor in this contest. He finished the game shooting 58.3% from the floor but didn't record an assist. He was on the court for 39 minutes and also grabbed 5 boards. He finished with 20 points on 7 out of 12 shooting.

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Louisiana Tech comes into this game with a mark of 12-8 this year. They average 68.5 points per outing (329th in the country) while going 43.8% from the floor. The Bulldogs are connecting on 30.6% on three-point attempts (114 of 373) and 64.8% from the charity stripe. As a team, Louisiana Tech is snagging 39.6 boards per game and has accounted for 240 dimes for the season, which has them ranked 331st in the nation in terms of passing the rock. They turn the ball over 11.7 times per contest and as a group they commit 15.9 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

When they are on the defensive end, the Bulldogs are able to force 12.0 turnovers per contest while drawing 16.5 fouls. They are 49th in college hoops in giving up assists to their opponents with 234 relinquished so far this season. The Bulldogs defense is allowing a FG percentage of 37.8% (410 of 1,086) and they concede 32.9 rebounds per contest as a unit. They surrender 30.5% on 3-point shots while they are 2nd in college in PPG allowed (61.2).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Sam Houston State Bearkats took home the win by a final score of 80-71 against Missouri State. The Bearkats pulled down 24 defensive rebounds and 8 offensive rebounds for a total of 32 in this matchup. They also gave up possession of the ball 12 times, while recording 7 steals in the matchup. Missouri State committed 16 personal fouls for the game which got the Bearkats to the free throw line for a total of 19 tries. They were able to convert 14 of the free throws for a percentage of 73.7%. Concerning 3-point shots, Sam Houston State buried 4 out of their 13 tries (30.8%). When the game finished, the Bearkats went 31 for 57 from the field which had them sitting at 54.4%. The Bearkats allowed Missouri State to bury 27 of 56 attempts from the field which had them sitting at 48.2% for this contest. They shot 40.0% from distance by shooting 6 out of 15 and walked away from this one shooting 11 out of 18 from the charity stripe (61.1%). When talking about cleaning up the glass, Sam Houston State permitted Missouri State to grab 25 in all (9 offensive).

Jacob Walker ended up being important for the Bearkats in this game. He buried 5 of 11 in the game giving him a rate of 45.5%, and had 2 rebounds. He racked up 16 points in his 28 mins on the court and earned 1 assist for this contest.

Sam Houston State has a mark of 14-7 for the season. The Bearkats commit 18.4 personal fouls every game and they shoot 71.9% from the free throw line. They are earning an assist 16.1 times per contest (77th in the nation) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 12.3 times per game. Sam Houston State has accounted for 1,760 points on the year (83.8 per contest) and they snag 41.9 boards per game. On the offensive side of the ball, the Bearkats are shooting 47.0% from the floor, which ranks them 88th in the nation.

The Bearkats on defense are ranked 192nd in college hoops in PPG given up with 73.8. They have forced 12.4 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 40.9% from the field (47th in the country). The Sam Houston State defense surrenders 31.5% on shots from distance (180 of 572) and their opponents are knocking down 69.7% of their shots from the free throw line. They have given up 12.7 dimes and 34.4 rebounds per contest, which is 128th and 178th in Division 1.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Louisiana Tech

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