Tarleton State Texans vs Southern Utah Thunderbirds Prediction, 1/15/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Tarleton State Texans vs Southern Utah Thunderbirds

Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026

Location: America First Events Center in Cedar City, UT

TV: ESPN+

The Tarleton State Texans (11-6) are headed to America First Events Center on Thursday where they will try to beat the Southern Utah Thunderbirds (4-13).

The Tarleton State Texans played Abilene Christian and took a loss by a final of 84-80 in their last contest. In relation to personal fouls, the Texans finished with 24 and Abilene Christian racked up 26 personal fouls. They also buried 7 of 17 attempts from distance. Abilene Christian finished shooting 73.1% from the free throw line by knocking down 19 of 26 tries. Additionally, Abilene Christian grabbed 30 boards (10 offensive, 20 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Abilene Christian totaled 15 assists and had 5 steals for the game. With regard to the defense, Tarleton State allowed the other team to go 55.8% from the field on 29 of 52 shooting. They also recorded 6 dimes in the game while forcing the opposition into 18 turnovers and getting 12 steals. When it comes to hauling in boards, they earned 24 with 9 of them being offensive. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Texans converted 27 of 29 tries for a percentage of 93.1%. Tarleton State wrapped up the game with a 46.4% FG percentage (26 of 56) and buried 1 of their 6 shots from beyond the arc.

Dior Johnson is a player who played a role in this matchup. He went 47.4% from the field but wasn't able to get an assist. He was on the hardwood for 33 minutes and also collected 3 rebounds. He accounted for 33 points on 9 out of 19 shooting.

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Tarleton State heads into this matchup with a win-loss record of 11-6 on the year. They are turning it over 14.5 times per game and as a team are committing 20.0 fouls per contest. As a unit, Tarleton State is snagging 33.4 boards per contest and has accounted for 212 assists for the year, which is 297th in the nation in terms of passing the ball. The Texans are shooting 34.5% on 3-point shots (89 of 258) and 76.8% from the charity stripe. They have an average of 80.2 points per outing (116th in the nation) while hitting 47.2% from the field.

On the defensive end of the court, the Texans are forcing 19.4 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 20.8 fouls. They rank 164th in college hoops in allowing assists to the opposition with 220 surrendered so far this year. The Texans are allowing a shooting percentage of 45.3% (411 of 908) and they concede 33.0 rebounds per contest as a team. They give up 33.6% from 3-point land while they are 160th in college in opponents PPG (72.6).

In their last game, the Southern Utah Thunderbirds went home defeated by a final of 58-55 when they played California Baptist. The Thunderbirds recorded 23 defensive boards and 13 offensive rebounds totaling 36 for the contest. They gave up possession of the ball 11 times, while getting 4 steals for the contest. California Baptist earned 14 fouls in the matchup which got the Thunderbirds to the charity stripe for 12 tries. They were able to make 9 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 75.0%. In reference to shots from beyond the perimeter, Southern Utah made 6 out of 21 tries (28.6%). When the final whistle was blown, the Thunderbirds shot 20 for 57 from the floor which gave them a rate of 35.1%. The Thunderbirds permitted California Baptist to bury 21 out of 68 tries from the field which had them sitting at 30.9% in this matchup. They shot 22.7% from 3-point land by shooting 5 of 22 and ended up shooting 11 out of 19 from the free throw line (57.9%). Regarding how they cleaned up the glass, Southern Utah permitted California Baptist to grab 40 in all (18 offensive).

Jaiden Feroah was important for the Thunderbirds for this game. He earned 16 points in his 33 mins on the hardwood, but wasn't able to tally an assist. He buried 7 of 11 for the matchup for a rate of 63.6%, and had 6 rebounds.

Southern Utah has a mark of 4-13 this year. On the offensive side of the court, the Thunderbirds are connecting on 44.6% from the floor, which ranks 230th in the nation. Southern Utah has scored 1,280 points this season (75.3 per contest) and they grab 36.5 rebounds per game. They are assisting teammates 14.1 times per game (202nd in the nation) and they are turning it over 13.5 times per game. The Thunderbirds have committed 16.0 personal fouls every game and they connect on 71.2% from the charity stripe.

The Southern Utah defense surrenders 37.9% on 3-pointers (129 of 340) and their opponents are converting on 71.3% of their free throw shots. They have surrendered 13.8 assists and 37.5 rebounds on a nightly basis, which ranks 220th and 311th in the country. The Thunderbirds on the defensive end are ranked 323rd in the country in points per game surrendered with 80.4. They are forcing 11.0 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 46.7% from the floor (315th in the nation).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Tarleton State

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