Ohio Bobcats vs Buffalo Bulls Prediction, 1/31/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Ohio Bobcats vs Buffalo Bulls

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Location: Alumni Arena in Buffalo, NY

TV: ESPN+

Alumni Arena is the site where the Buffalo Bulls (14-7) will attempt to beat the Ohio Bobcats (11-11) on Saturday.

The Ohio Bobcats played Kent State and took a loss by a score of 72-57 in their last contest. When it comes to personal fouls, the Bobcats ended up walking away with 25 while Kent State accounted for 19 personal fouls. They converted 6 out of their 20 tries from beyond the perimeter. Kent State ended up going 74.3% from the charity stripe by making 26 of their 35 attempts. Furthermore, Kent State collected 46 rebounds (12 offensive, 34 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. Kent State totaled 12 dimes and had 5 steals for the contest. Pertaining to defense, Ohio let their opponent shoot 37.7% from the floor on 20 out of 53 shooting. They also doled out 8 assists for the contest as well as forcing 19 turnovers and having 13 steals. When it comes to pulling down boards, they earned 27 with 9 of them being of the offensive sort. From the charity stripe, the Bobcats knocked down 12 of their 17 tries for a rate of 70.6%. Ohio walked away from the contest having earned a 29.7% field goal percentage (19 out of 64) and buried 7 of 31 3-pointers.

Aidan Hadaway is someone who came through in this matchup. He notched 13 points on 5 out of 14 shooting. He played 29 mins and also snagged 3 rebounds. He ended up going 35.7% from the floor but had no dimes when the game ended.

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Ohio comes into this game with a win-loss record of 11-11 on the year. They currently have an average of 76.6 points per contest (182nd in college) while shooting 46.2% from the floor. The Bobcats are shooting 30.2% on three-point shots (148 of 490) and 69.1% from the charity stripe. As a team, Ohio is pulling down 33.8 boards per game and has totaled 285 assists so far this year, which ranks 216th in Division 1 in terms of passing the rock. They turn it over 12.1 times per contest and as a unit they are committing 17.7 fouls on a nightly basis.

On the defensive end of the court, the Bobcats are forcing 13.2 turnovers per game and they draw 19.3 personal fouls. They are ranked 234th in D-1 in giving up assists with 293 conceded for the campaign. The Bobcats defense is allowing a FG percentage of 45.1% (593 of 1,315) and they surrender 36.3 rebounds per contest as a group. They relinquish 35.1% from beyond the arc and they are ranked 280th in D-1 in points per game allowed (77.3).

The last time they took the court, the Buffalo Bulls got the win with a final of 89-78 when they faced Bowling Green. The Bulls corralled 23 defensive boards and 4 offensive rebounds for a total of 27 for the contest. They turned it over 7 times, while earning 5 steals for this game. Bowling Green earned 16 personal fouls in this matchup which got the Bulls to the charity stripe for a total of 22 shots. They were able to convert 17 of the free throw attempts for a clip of 77.3%. When it comes to shots from downtown, Buffalo made 14 out of their 26 attempts (53.8%). When the final whistle blew, the Bulls finished 29 for 52 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 55.8%. The Bulls permitted Bowling Green to make 31 out of 62 tries from the floor which left them with a shooting percentage of 50.0% in this game. They finished 35.0% from behind the 3-point line by shooting 7 out of 20 and finished the game at 9 out of 15 at the free throw line (60.0%). Concerning cleaning the glass, Buffalo allowed Bowling Green to get 28 in total (9 on the offensive side).

Ryan Sabol ended up having an impact for the Bulls in the matchup. He made 7 of 13 in this game for a field goal rate of 53.8%, and had 1 rebound. He earned 22 points in his 37 mins on the court and had 5 assists for this contest.

Buffalo has a record of 14-7 this season. The Bulls are committing 16.3 fouls per game and they go 73.7% from the charity stripe. They are assisting teammates 14.9 times per contest (133rd in D-1) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 10.4 times per contest. Buffalo has scored 1,680 pts for the campaign (80.0 per game) and they collect 32.2 rebounds per game. When it comes to executing on offense, the Bulls are connecting on 48.2% from the floor, which has them ranked 43rd in the country.

The Buffalo defense surrenders 33.8% on three-point shots (177 of 524) and opponents are connecting on 73.5% of their free throw attempts. They have allowed 15.6 assists and 33.1 rebounds per game, which ranks them 317th and 93rd in Division 1. The Bulls on the defensive side of the court are 213th in college in PPG given up with 74.7. They have forced 12.0 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 46.1% from the field (299th in college hoops).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Buffalo

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