Missouri State Bears vs Kennesaw State Owls Prediction, 1/7/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Missouri State Bears vs Kennesaw State Owls

Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Location: KSU Convocation Center in Kennesaw, GA

TV: ESPN+

The Kennesaw State Owls (8-6) will try to defeat the Missouri State Bears (9-5) at KSU Convocation Center on Wednesday.

The Missouri State Bears faced New Mexico State and earned the victory with a final of 89-82 in their last game. Missouri State walked away from the contest with a 46.3% FG percentage (25 of 54) and converted 10 of their 21 shots from beyond the perimeter. At the charity stripe, the Bears converted 29 of their 39 shots for a rate of 74.4%. In regard to grabbing rebounds, they earned 27 with 10 of them being offensive. They also dished out 14 assists for the game in addition to forcing the other team into 11 turnovers and earning 7 steals. Pertaining to defense, Missouri State allowed 45.9% from the field on 28 of 61 shooting. New Mexico State earned 9 dimes and had 6 steals for the game. On top of that, New Mexico State snagged 32 rebounds (10 offensive, 22 defensive), but wrapped up the game with no rejections. New Mexico State went 82.6% from the free throw line by burying 19 of 23 tries. They also knocked down 7 out of their 18 attempts from distance. When discussing fouls, the Bears walked away with 17 and New Mexico State finished the game with 27 fouls.

Kobi Williams is someone who was a major factor in this matchup. He ended up scoring 32 points on 8 out of 11 shooting. He was on the court for 39 mins and also snagged 2 boards. He finished the contest at 72.7% from the field but didn't record an assist.

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Missouri State heads into this contest with a mark of 9-5 so far this year. They are averaging 74.9 points per contest (239th in Division 1) while hitting 45.0% from the field. The Bears are shooting 30.4% on three-point attempts (98 of 322) and 68.8% from the charity stripe. As a team, Missouri State is snagging 35.8 rebounds per contest and has racked up 194 assists so far this year, which ranks 279th in Division 1 in terms of passing the rock. They turn it over 11.0 times per game and as a team they commit 16.7 fouls per contest.

On the defensive end of the court, the Bears are forcing 11.7 turnovers per contest while drawing 18.4 fouls. They are currently ranked 65th in college hoops in giving up assists to their opponents with 171 conceded for the year. The Bears defense is giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 42.7% (344 of 806) and they surrender 34.4 boards per contest as a group. They are giving up 32.3% on shots from beyond the perimeter and they are 95th in D-1 in opponents points per game (69.5).

When they last played, the Kennesaw State Owls walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 67-52 when they faced Delaware. With respect to how they attacked the glass, Kennesaw State allowed Delaware to grab 29 overall (5 on the offensive glass). They finished 33.3% from behind the 3-point line by going 5 out of 15 and finished the contest at 10 out of 17 from the free throw line (58.8%). The Owls permitted Delaware to convert 26 out of their 52 attempts from the floor which gave them a percentage of 50.0% for the matchup. When all was said and done, the Owls finished 17 for 60 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 28.3%. In reference to 3-point attempts, Kennesaw State knocked down 7 out of their 35 tries (20.0%). They were able to knock down 11 of those for a percentage of 91.7%. Delaware earned 14 personal fouls for the matchup which got the Owls to the charity stripe for a total of 12 attempts. They turned it over 13 times, while getting 6 steals in this game. The Owls collected 24 defensive boards and 15 offensive rebounds totaling 39 in this game.

Simeon Cottle ended up having an impact for the Owls for the game. He converted 6 of 21 for the contest giving him a rate of 28.6%, and added 3 rebounds. He scored 16 points in his 38 minutes on the hardwood and accumulated 7 dimes for the game.

Kennesaw State has a record of 8-6 this season. The Owls are committing 20.7 personal fouls every game and they connect on 68.8% from the charity stripe. They are dishing out assists 14.7 times per game (157th in college hoops) and they are turning it over 13.3 times per game. Kennesaw State has tallied 1,245 pts on the campaign (88.9 per contest) and they collect 46.6 rebounds per contest. When it comes to offense, the Owls are connecting on 44.9% from the floor, which ranks them 215th in D-1.

The Kennesaw State defense gives up 32.1% on 3-point attempts (102 of 318) and their opponents are connecting on 75.1% of their foul shots. They surrender 10.4 assists and 35.4 boards per contest, which is ranked 15th and 236th in those defensive categories. The Owls defensively are ranked 247th in college in PPG given up with 75.7. They have forced 13.6 TO's every game and have let teams shoot 38.8% from the floor (24th in D-1).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Missouri State

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