UMKC Kangaroos vs Omaha Mavericks Prediction, 1/3/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UMKC Kangaroos vs Omaha Mavericks

Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026

Location: Baxter Arena in Omaha, NE

TV: ESPN+

Baxter Arena is the site where the Omaha Mavericks (7-8) will take on the UMKC Kangaroos (3-12) on Saturday.

The UMKC Kangaroos played Denver and took a loss by a score of 87-74 in their last contest. When discussing personal fouls, the Kangaroos finished with 20 and Denver recorded 19 personal fouls. They also buried 8 of 23 tries from three-point range. Denver walked away from this one shooting 80.8% at the free throw line by making 21 of 26 attempts. On top of that, Denver grabbed 28 rebounds (7 offensive, 21 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Denver totaled 10 assists and had 7 steals in the game. When talking about the defense, UMKC allowed 46.8% from the floor on 29 out of 62 shooting. They also recorded 11 assists in this contest as well as creating 6 turnovers and earning 3 steals. When talking about rebounding, they earned a total of 37 with 11 of them being on the offensive end. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Kangaroos made 16 of their 23 attempts for a rate of 69.6%. UMKC finished the game having earned a 44.3% FG percentage (27 out of 61) and made 4 of their 21 3-point shots.

Karmello Branch is one guy who was a factor for the matchup. He racked up 18 points on 7 out of 14 shooting. He saw the court for 34 mins and also grabbed 4 boards. He finished 50.0% from the field but wasn't able to get a dime.

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UMKC enters this contest with a mark of 3-12 this season. They average 71.7 points per game (300th in D-1) on 41.8% from the field. The Kangaroos are shooting 30.0% on 3-pointers (94 of 313) and 70.9% from the free throw line. As a unit, UMKC is pulling down 35.3 boards per game and has racked up 184 assists for the campaign, which has them ranked 240th in college hoops in terms of passing the ball. They lose possession by turning the ball over 14.4 times per contest and as a group are committing 17.4 fouls per contest.

When they are on defense, the Kangaroos are forcing their opponents into 12.7 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 19.8 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 348th in the country in allowing assists to the opposition with 243 surrendered for the year. The Kangaroos are giving up an opponent FG percentage of 47.7% (459 of 962) and they relinquish 39.1 rebounds per contest as a group. They surrender 32.3% from beyond the arc and they are 337th in D-1 in PPG allowed (82.4).

When they last stepped on the court, the Omaha Mavericks walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 80-57 when they faced Oregon. The Mavericks were able to corral 20 defensive boards and 5 offensive rebounds totaling 25 for the matchup. They turned it over 9 times, while getting 7 steals in the matchup. Oregon committed 14 personal fouls for the contest which got the Mavericks to the free throw line for a total of 15 tries. They were able to convert 7 of those for a rate of 46.7%. When it comes to shots from beyond the perimeter, Omaha knocked down 8 of their 26 attempts (30.8%). Overall, the Mavericks went 21 out of 57 from the floor which gave them a rate of 36.8%. The Mavericks allowed Oregon to make 31 of 68 tries from the field which had them shooting 45.6% for this game. They finished 40.0% from three-point range by going 12 of 30 and walked away from this one shooting 6 out of 13 from the free throw line (46.2%). With respect to how they rebounded, Omaha permitted Oregon to snag 45 in total (16 on the offensive glass).

Tony Osburn ended up being a major contributor for the Mavericks in this game. He made 7 out of 16 in the matchup for a field goal percentage of 43.8%, but wasn't able to snag a board. He accumulated 18 points in his 39 mins of playing time and had 3 dimes in the matchup.

Omaha has a record of 7-8 this year. The Mavericks commit 15.5 fouls per game and they connect on 71.7% from the free throw line. They are getting an assist 14.1 times per contest (209th in college) and they turn it over 12.0 times per game. Omaha has totaled 1,159 pts on the campaign (77.3 per game) and they grab 34.9 boards per game. When it comes to executing on offense, the Mavericks are hitting on 46.6% from the floor, which is ranked 128th in the nation.

The Omaha defense allows 33.6% on shots from distance (150 of 446) and opponents are knocking down 75.4% of their free throw attempts. They have conceded 16.3 dimes and 34.4 total rebounds per game, which is ranked 328th and 179th in those categories on the defensive end. The Mavericks are ranked 281st in the country in PPG given up with 77.5. They are forcing their opponents into 10.7 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 44.5% from the field (244th in Division 1).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take UMKC

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