Samford Bulldogs vs Citadel Bulldogs Prediction, 2/19/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Samford Bulldogs vs Citadel Bulldogs

Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026

Location: McAlister Field House in Charleston, SC

TV: ESPN+

McAlister Field House is where the Citadel Bulldogs (9-18) will try to beat the Samford Bulldogs (15-12) on Thursday.

The Samford Bulldogs played East Tennessee State and notched a win by a score of 82-72 in their last game. When it comes to fouls, the Bulldogs ended up finishing with 14 while East Tennessee State finished the game with 27 fouls. They made 5 of 20 shots from distance. East Tennessee State finished the contest at 77.3% at the free throw line by burying 17 of their 22 shots. Moreover, East Tennessee State totaled 34 rebounds (8 offensive, 26 defensive), but didn't have a block. East Tennessee State recorded 15 assists and had 7 steals in the game. When it comes to the defense, Samford allowed 41.0% from the floor on 25 out of 61 shooting. They also dished out 15 dimes in this matchup as well as forcing the opposition into 11 turnovers and having 7 steals. With regard to rebounding, they earned 37 with 7 of them being on the offensive end. From the charity stripe, the Bulldogs converted 31 of their 40 tries for a rate of 77.5%. Samford finished with a 41.5% field goal percentage (22 out of 53) and knocked down 7 of 24 shots from beyond the perimeter.

Dylan Faulkner is a player who was a major contributor for the matchup. He walked away from this one shooting 55.6% from the floor and recorded 1 assist. He played 35 minutes played and also snagged 10 rebounds. He notched 24 points on 10 of 18 shooting.

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Samford comes into this game with a win-loss mark of 15-12 so far this year. They average 78.3 pts per game (131st in the country) while hitting 44.6% from the field. The Bulldogs are hitting 34.5% on shots from beyond the arc (252 of 730) and 68.3% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Samford is pulling in 36.5 rebounds per game and has accumulated 400 dimes this season, which has them ranked 98th in Division 1 in terms of passing. They are losing possession via turnover 9.0 times per contest and as a squad they are committing 16.1 personal fouls every game.

On the defensive end, the Bulldogs are able to force 9.3 turnovers per contest while drawing 20.3 fouls. They relinquish 35.1% on shots from beyond the perimeter and they are 218th in college hoops in opponents points per game (74.8). The Bulldogs defensively are giving up a FG percentage of 44.0% (717 of 1,630) and they surrender 36.0 rebounds per contest as a unit. They currently rank 128th in college hoops in allowing assists to the opposition with 335 surrendered for the campaign.

The last time they took the court, the Citadel Bulldogs went home defeated by a final of 70-54 against Mercer. The Bulldogs earned 19 defensive rebounds and 9 offensive rebounds totaling 28 for this game. They also coughed up the ball 12 times, while earning 7 steals for the contest. Mercer earned 12 fouls in this matchup which got the Bulldogs to the charity stripe for a total of 12 attempts. They were able to convert 11 of the free throw tries for a percentage of 91.7%. In reference to 3-point shots, Citadel made 7 of 25 attempts (28.0%). Overall, the Bulldogs went 18 for 53 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 34.0%. The Bulldogs allowed Mercer to convert 25 of 48 tries from the floor which had them shooting 52.1% in the matchup. They finished 52.9% from distance via 9 out of 17 and ended up shooting 11 out of 18 from the charity stripe (61.1%). In reference to attacking the glass, Citadel permitted Mercer to pull down 26 in total (7 offensive).

Braxton Williams ended up having an impact for the Bulldogs for the matchup. He earned 17 points in his 35 mins of playing time and had 1 assist in this contest. He converted 5 of 12 in this matchup giving him a rate of 41.7%, and accounted for 2 rebounds.

Citadel has a win-loss mark of 9-18 for the season. The Bulldogs commit 16.3 fouls per game and they go 69.8% from the free throw line. They are earning an assist 12.4 times per contest (294th in the country) and they are turning it over 10.9 times per game. Citadel has accumulated 1,867 points so far this year (69.1 per game) and they collect 33.7 boards per contest. On the offensive side of the court, the Bulldogs are shooting 41.8% from the field, which ranks them 329th in the country.

The Bulldogs defensively are ranked 246th in college in points per game surrendered with 76.2. They are able to force 9.8 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 47.7% from the floor (340th in D-1). The Citadel defense surrenders 35.8% on shots from 3-point land (238 of 664) and their opposition makes 68.2% of their free throw shots. They have relinquished 14.1 assists and 35.3 boards every game, which is ranked 240th and 231st in college.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Citadel

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