Morehead State Eagles vs SIU Edwardsville Cougars Prediction, 1/3/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Morehead State Eagles vs SIU Edwardsville Cougars

Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026

Location: First Community Arena in Edwardsville, IL

TV: ESPN+

The SIU Edwardsville Cougars (8-5) will try to defeat the Morehead State Eagles (6-7) at First Community Arena on Saturday.

The Morehead State Eagles faced off with Alice Lloyd College and took home the win by a score of 115-65 in their last game. Morehead State finished the game having earned a 59.5% field goal percentage (44 out of 74) and made 14 out of their 31 shots from beyond the arc. At the free throw line, the Eagles knocked down 13 of their 20 shots for a rate of 65.0%. In terms of grabbing rebounds, they earned a total of 47 with 14 of them being offensive. They also doled out 31 dimes in this matchup as well as forcing 14 turnovers and having 12 steals. When it comes to defending, Morehead State allowed the other team to go 40.6% from the floor on 26 out of 64 shooting. Alice Lloyd College recorded 16 assists and had 5 steals for the contest. In addition, Alice Lloyd College totaled 23 boards (5 offensive, 18 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Alice Lloyd College finished shooting 75.0% from the charity stripe by knocking down 6 of 8 shots. They converted 7 of 23 tries from distance. In relation to fouls, the Eagles walked away with 9 while Alice Lloyd College finished the game with 16 fouls.

Josiah LeGree is a guy who was a factor for the contest. He finished the contest at 70.0% from the floor and totaled 10 assists. He saw the court for 25 mins and grabbed 3 rebounds. He left the arena with 20 points on 7 of 10 shooting.

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Morehead State comes into this matchup with a win-loss record of 6-7 on the year. They average 78.3 points per game (168th in the nation) while hitting 46.2% from the field. The Eagles are hitting 33.7% on shots from downtown (87 of 258) and 70.0% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Morehead State is grabbing 37.8 boards per contest and has accounted for 192 assists for the season, which has them ranked 206th in the country in terms of passing the ball. They lose possession by turning the ball over 12.9 times per game and as a unit they commit 17.9 fouls per game.

On the defensive end, the Eagles have forced 13.0 turnovers per contest while drawing 18.2 personal fouls. They are relinquishing 33.6% from beyond the arc and they rank 293rd in college hoops in points per game allowed (78.0). The Eagles defensively are allowing and opponent field goal percentage of 44.0% (355 of 807) and they surrender 36.0 rebounds per contest as a group. They are ranked 305th in D-1 in giving up assists with 214 conceded on the year.

In their last game, the SIU Edwardsville Cougars took home the win by a final score of 66-61 against Western Illinois. In regard to rebounding, SIU Edwardsville permitted Western Illinois to get 22 in total (4 on the offensive side). They wrapped up this game 30.8% from distance by going 4 out of 13 and ended up shooting 15 of 22 at the free throw line (68.2%). The Cougars permitted Western Illinois to convert 21 out of their 50 tries from the field which had them at 42.0% for the game. When this game wrapped up, the Cougars finished the game shooting 20 out of 51 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 39.2%. With respect to 3-pointers, SIU Edwardsville buried 8 out of their 20 tries (40.0%). They were able to knock down 18 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 78.3%. Western Illinois had 18 fouls for this game which got the Cougars to the free throw line for 23 attempts. They gave up possession of the ball 13 times, while getting 6 steals in the matchup. The Cougars corralled 24 defensive rebounds and 7 offensive boards for a total of 31 for the contest.

Ring Malith ended up being important for the Cougars for this contest. He buried 7 of 15 in this game for a field goal percentage of 46.7%, and accumulated 6 rebounds. He totaled 24 points in his 35 mins on the court, but went home with no dimes.

SIU Edwardsville has a win-loss mark of 8-5 this season. When it comes to executing on offense, the Cougars are hitting on 45.2% from the field, which has them ranked 207th in college hoops. SIU Edwardsville has tallied 999 points on the campaign (76.8 per game) and they collect 38.2 rebounds per contest. They are earning an assist 13.8 times per game (230th in the country) and they are giving up possession 11.2 times per game. The Cougars are responsible for committing 15.9 fouls per contest and they connect on 68.4% from the charity stripe.

The SIU Edwardsville defense gives up 30.9% from downtown (99 of 320) and opponents are knocking down 75.0% of their free throw shots. They allow 10.4 dimes and 34.2 total rebounds per game, which has them ranked 21st and 170th in college hoops. The Cougars on defense are ranked 46th in college in points given up per game with 66.5. They are forcing their opponents into 14.0 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 39.7% from the field (47th in college hoops).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Morehead State

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