Sam Houston State Bearkats vs Missouri State Bears Prediction, 1/28/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Sam Houston State Bearkats vs Missouri State Bears

Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Location: Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield, MO

TV: ESPN+

The Sam Houston State Bearkats (13-7) are on their way to Great Southern Bank Arena on Wednesday where they will try to defeat the Missouri State Bears (12-8).

The Sam Houston State Bearkats faced Western Kentucky and walked away with a win by a score of 73-58 in their last game. Sam Houston State ended the contest with a 49.2% field goal percentage (29 of 59) and buried 7 of 20 shots from beyond the arc. From the charity stripe, the Bearkats made 8 of 20 attempts for a percentage of 40.0%. Regarding pulling down boards, they compiled 31 with 9 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 20 dimes for the contest while creating 17 turnovers and having 9 steals. Regarding defending, Sam Houston State let their opponent shoot 37.3% from the field on 19 out of 51 shooting. Western Kentucky distributed 9 dimes and had 3 steals in this game. Moreover, Western Kentucky grabbed 37 boards (10 offensive, 27 defensive), but wrapped up the game with no rejections. Western Kentucky shot 75.0% when shooting free throws by burying 12 of 16 attempts. They also made 8 of 23 shots from distance. When it comes to personal fouls, the Bearkats ended up finishing with 12 and Western Kentucky recorded 16 personal fouls.

Po'Boigh King is one player who was a factor for the contest. He ended up walking away with 27 points on 10 out of 16 shooting. He played for 31 mins and pulled down 1 rebound. He finished the contest at 62.5% from the floor and earned 1 assist.

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Sam Houston State comes into this game with a win-loss record of 13-7 so far this year. They have an average of 84.0 points per game (51st in college hoops) while hitting 46.7% from the field. The Bearkats are shooting 36.1% on shots from 3-point land (182 of 504) and 71.8% from the free throw line. As a unit, Sam Houston State is pulling in 42.3 boards per contest and has tallied 326 assists on the season, which ranks 78th in the nation in terms of passing. They turn it over 12.2 times per contest and as a team are committing 18.5 fouls every game.

When they are on the defensive end, the Bearkats are able to force 12.5 turnovers every game while drawing 16.7 fouls. They are conceding 31.2% from beyond the arc and they rank 199th in college in PPG allowed (74.0). The Bearkats defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 40.6% (497 of 1,225) and they relinquish 34.7 boards per game as a team. They are 110th in college in giving up assists with 255 relinquished so far this year.

When they last stepped on the court, the Missouri State Bears got the victory with a final of 62-57 when they played UTEP. When talking about how they cleaned up the glass, Missouri State permitted UTEP to grab 23 overall (1 offensive). They went 42.1% from distance by hitting 8 of 19 and walked away from this one shooting 11 of 15 at the charity stripe (73.3%). The Bears permitted UTEP to make 19 out of their 50 tries from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 38.0% in this matchup. In all, the Bears shot 20 out of 45 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 44.4%. In relation to 3-point attempts, Missouri State converted 5 out of their 18 tries (27.8%). They were able to convert 17 of the free throws for a percentage of 73.9%. UTEP earned 18 personal fouls for this contest which got the Bears to the charity stripe for a total of 23 shots. They also turned it over 15 times, while recording 6 steals for the contest. The Bears snagged 29 defensive rebounds and 5 offensive boards for a total of 34 for this game.

Kobi Williams was important for the Bears for the game. He tallied 21 points in his 37 minutes on the court and earned 2 dimes in this game. He converted 6 out of 12 in the game for a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and earned 5 rebounds.

Missouri State has a mark of 12-8 so far this season. When it comes to offensive execution, the Bears are connecting on 45.0% from the field, which is 205th in college. Missouri State has totaled 1,512 points this year (75.6 per game) and they pull in 35.9 rebounds per game. They are dishing out assists 14.2 times per contest (185th in Division 1) and they lose possession via turnover 11.6 times per contest. The Bears have committed 17.5 fouls per game and they hit 68.5% from the charity stripe.

The Missouri State defense surrenders 34.1% on shots from distance (143 of 419) and their opposition makes 70.6% of their foul shots. They have given up 13.1 assists and 33.7 boards per contest, which is ranked 166th and 134th in D-1. The Bears on the defensive side of the court are 137th in college in points per game surrendered with 72.2. They are forcing 11.7 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 43.9% from the field (193rd in Division 1).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Missouri State

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