Samford Bulldogs vs East Tennessee State Buccaneers Prediction, 2/14/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Samford Bulldogs vs East Tennessee State Buccaneers

Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026

Location: Freedom Hall in Johnson City, TN

TV: ESPN+

Freedom Hall is the site where the East Tennessee State Buccaneers (19-7) will take on the Samford Bulldogs (14-12) on Saturday.

The Samford Bulldogs faced off with Wofford and earned the victory with a final of 97-80 in their last game. In the matter of fouls, the Bulldogs finished with 18 and Wofford totaled 17 fouls. They knocked down 8 of their 23 shots from beyond the arc. Wofford ended up going 66.7% when shooting free throws by making 16 of their 24 shots. Additionally, Wofford collected 20 boards (3 offensive, 17 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Wofford distributed 12 dimes and had 7 steals for the contest. With respect to defending, Samford allowed their opponent to shoot 45.2% from the floor on 28 of 62 shooting. They also distributed 20 dimes in this matchup as well as creating 4 turnovers and earning 2 steals. With respect to rebounding, they earned a total of 35 with 4 of them being of the offensive variety. At the charity stripe, the Bulldogs converted 16 of their 22 tries for a percentage of 72.7%. Samford finished the contest having earned a 63.0% field goal percentage (34 out of 54) and made 13 out of their 25 shots from beyond the perimeter.

Jadin Booth is one player who was important for the game. He was able to score 25 points on 9 of 13 shooting. He played for 36 mins and also snagged 3 rebounds. He finished the game shooting 69.2% from the floor and also recorded 1 assist.

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Samford steps onto the hardwood with a win-loss record of 14-12 on the campaign. They currently have an average of 78.1 pts per game (136th in the nation) while shooting 44.8% from the field. The Bulldogs are shooting 34.7% on 3-pointers (245 of 706) and 67.7% from the free throw line. As a team, Samford is pulling down 36.4 boards per contest and has accounted for 385 dimes so far this year, which ranks 90th in Division 1 in terms of passing the rock. They lose possession by turning the ball over 8.9 times per game and as a group they are committing 16.2 fouls every game.

When they are on defense, the Bulldogs are able to force 9.2 turnovers every game and they draw 20.0 fouls. They relinquish 35.4% on shots from beyond the arc and they are 220th in D-1 in points per game allowed (74.9). The Bulldogs are giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 44.1% (692 of 1,569) and they relinquish 36.1 rebounds per contest as a team. They are ranked 152nd in the nation in giving up assists with 320 conceded for the season.

The last time they took the court, the East Tennessee State Buccaneers got the victory with a final of 73-61 when they played Chattanooga. The Buccaneers corralled 25 defensive boards and 8 offensive boards for a total of 33 in this contest. They turned it over 5 times, while getting 7 steals in this game. Chattanooga earned 24 fouls in the matchup which took the Buccaneers to the free throw line for 35 shots. They were able to convert 26 of them for a rate of 74.3%. With regard to shots from distance, East Tennessee State converted 5 of their 20 tries (25.0%). Overall, the Buccaneers ended up going 21 for 54 from the field which had them shooting 38.9%. The Buccaneers permitted Chattanooga to bury 22 of 55 attempts from the field which left them with a shooting percentage of 40.0% in this game. They went 29.2% from 3-point land by going 7 of 24 and finished the contest at 10 of 12 at the free throw line (83.3%). In regard to rebounding, East Tennessee State permitted Chattanooga to grab 33 in all (4 offensive).

Jordan McCullum ended up being a factor for the Buccaneers in the game. He earned 24 points in his 32 minutes of playing time and totaled 1 assist in this matchup. He knocked down 7 of 12 for the contest giving him a field goal percentage of 58.3%, and totaled 6 rebounds.

East Tennessee State has a mark of 19-7 this year. The Buccaneers commit 16.0 personal fouls every game and they hit 76.4% from the charity stripe. Their rate of earning assists is at 14.7 times per game (134th in D-1) and they are giving up possession 10.0 times per contest. East Tennessee State has accounted for 2,043 pts so far this year (78.6 per game) and they collect 34.5 boards per game. When it comes to offensive execution, the Buccaneers are hitting on 48.7% from the field, which ranks 30th in college.

The Buccaneers on the defensive end are ranked 34th in Division 1 in points given up per game with 67.6. They are able to force 13.6 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 41.9% from the field (71st in the country). The East Tennessee State defense gives up 32.3% on three-point shots (224 of 693) and their opposition knocks down 71.7% of their shots from the charity stripe. They concede 12.8 assists and 31.7 boards every game, which ranks 137th and 49th in college hoops.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take East Tennessee State

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