UNI Panthers vs Valparaiso Beacons Prediction, 1/17/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UNI Panthers vs Valparaiso Beacons

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026

Location: Athletics-Recreation Center in Valparaiso, IN

TV: ESPN+

The UNI Panthers (12-6) are headed to Athletics-Recreation Center on Saturday where they will try to defeat the Valparaiso Beacons (8-10).

The UNI Panthers faced UIC and took a loss by a score of 69-61 in their last game. UNI finished the game with a 39.3% FG percentage (22 out of 56) and converted 3 of their 24 three-point attempts. From the free throw line, the Panthers converted 14 of their 16 attempts for a percentage of 87.5%. When discussing grabbing boards, they compiled a total of 32 with 11 of them being on the offensive end. They also distributed 11 assists in the matchup as well as creating 5 turnovers and getting 4 steals. In regard to the defense, UNI let their opponent shoot 52.8% from the floor on 28 of 53 shooting. UIC earned 13 assists and had 6 steals for the contest. On top of that, UIC snagged 25 rebounds (5 offensive, 20 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. UIC finished the game shooting 55.6% when shooting free throws by converting 10 of 18 shots. They converted 3 out of their 14 tries from three-point range. In the matter of fouls, the Panthers walked away with 19 while UIC totaled 16 fouls.

Trey Campbell is someone who was a contributor in this matchup. He totaled 21 points on 8 out of 15 shooting. He was on the court for 40 mins and also snagged 2 rebounds. He ended up shooting 53.3% from the floor and also earned 3 assists.

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UNI enters this game with a record of 12-6 for the campaign. They lose possession by turning the ball over 9.2 times per contest and as a group they are committing 15.3 fouls per contest. As a team, UNI is grabbing 33.2 rebounds per game and has racked up 279 dimes so far this year, which has them ranked 81st in the nation in terms of passing. The Panthers are hitting 34.4% on shots beyond the perimeter (144 of 419) and 68.6% from the charity stripe. They average 69.1 pts per contest (325th in college) while going 45.7% from the floor.

When they are on defense, the Panthers have forced 12.2 turnovers every game while drawing 15.0 personal fouls. They are relinquishing 25.5% on 3-point shots and they rank 2nd in the nation in PPG from their opponents (60.1). The Panthers defense is giving up a field goal percentage of 40.0% (391 of 978) and they concede 34.9 rebounds per game as a squad. They currently rank 63rd in the country in giving up assists to their opponents with 203 relinquished for the campaign.

For their last game, the Valparaiso Beacons walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 78-74 when they played Belmont. The Beacons pulled down 17 defensive boards and 10 offensive boards totaling 27 for this game. They gave up possession of the ball 11 times, while earning 5 steals in this contest. Belmont was called for 15 personal fouls in this game which got the Beacons to the free throw line for 15 shots. They were able to make 8 of those for a percentage of 53.3%. Concerning shooting from distance, Valparaiso made 12 of their 31 tries (38.7%). When all was said and done, the Beacons walked away from this one shooting 27 for 62 from the field which had them shooting 43.5%. The Beacons allowed Belmont to knock down 32 out of 57 attempts from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 56.1% for this contest. They finished 40.0% from downtown by going 8 out of 20 and finished the contest at 6 out of 6 at the free throw line (100.0%). In regard to cleaning the glass, Valparaiso permitted Belmont to get 24 in all (4 offensive).

Owen Dease was important for the Beacons for the matchup. He recorded 24 points in his 35 minutes on the court and had 2 assists for this game. He buried 8 of 20 for this game for a field goal percentage of 40.0%, and added 3 rebounds.

Valparaiso has a record of 8-10 for the campaign. When it comes to offensive execution, the Beacons are shooting 41.0% from the field, which is 338th in college hoops. Valparaiso has scored 1,294 pts so far this year (71.9 per contest) and they average 37.1 boards per game. They are dishing out assists 11.8 times per contest (329th in the country) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 11.0 times per game. The Beacons are committing 18.4 fouls every game while shooting 72.2% from the charity stripe.

The Beacons defensively are ranked 125th in college in PPG given up with 71.5. They are forcing 12.0 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 43.4% from the floor (165th in college hoops). The Valparaiso defense concedes 31.4% on shots from behind the 3-point line (116 of 369) and opponents are connecting on 72.2% of their free throw attempts. They have allowed 11.7 dimes and 36.4 rebounds every game, ranking them 54th and 281st in D-1.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Valparaiso and under the total points

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