UT Martin Skyhawks vs Western Illinois Leathernecks Prediction, 1/31/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UT Martin Skyhawks vs Western Illinois Leathernecks

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Location: Western Hall in Macomb, IL

TV: ESPN+

The UT Martin Skyhawks (15-5) are hitting the road to Western Hall on Saturday where they will meet the Western Illinois Leathernecks (4-17).

The UT Martin Skyhawks played SE Missouri State and took a loss by a final of 66-50 in their last game. UT Martin wrapped up the game with a 32.7% field goal percentage (16 out of 49) and made 5 out of their 22 shots from beyond the perimeter. From the charity stripe, the Skyhawks made 13 of 22 attempts for a rate of 59.1%. Regarding getting rebounds, they compiled a total of 37 with 16 of them being offensive. They also doled out 6 assists for the game while forcing the other team into 10 turnovers and getting 7 steals. When talking about defending, UT Martin allowed their opponent to shoot 39.7% from the field on 23 of 58 shooting. SE Missouri State distributed 15 assists and had 6 steals in this matchup. In addition, SE Missouri State snagged 33 rebounds (14 offensive, 19 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. SE Missouri State finished the contest at 52.9% at the free throw line by converting 9 of their 17 attempts. They also made 11 of their 32 shots from distance. When it comes to personal fouls, the Skyhawks ended up finishing with 16 and SE Missouri State recorded 18 personal fouls.

Matas Deniusas is one guy who was a factor for the matchup. He ended up walking away with 11 points on 4 of 10 shooting. He was on the court for 23 mins and also grabbed 6 boards. He finished the game at 40.0% from the floor but didn't record a dime.

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UT Martin comes into this game with a record of 15-5 on the campaign. They are turning it over 15.0 times per game and as a team are committing 17.2 personal fouls every game. As a team, UT Martin is pulling in 41.5 boards per contest and has earned 269 assists for the campaign, which ranks 264th in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Skyhawks are shooting 31.3% from downtown (158 of 505) and 67.9% from the free throw line. They average 72.9 pts per contest (269th in college hoops) while connecting on 43.2% from the field.

When they are on defense, the Skyhawks are able to force 13.4 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 18.7 personal fouls. They rank 63rd in the country in giving up assists to the opposition with 244 relinquished this year. The Skyhawks are giving up a field goal percentage of 38.6% (441 of 1,143) and they relinquish 32.9 rebounds per game as a unit. They are conceding 27.7% from 3-point land while they are 10th in college in PPG from their opponents (64.3).

In their last game, the Western Illinois Leathernecks took a loss by a final score of 96-64 against Southern Indiana. The Leathernecks earned 18 defensive rebounds and 4 offensive boards totaling 22 for the contest. They also gave up possession of the ball 9 times, while getting 5 steals for this contest. Southern Indiana committed 15 personal fouls for the game which got the Leathernecks to the free throw line for a total of 24 attempts. They were able to make 17 of the free throws for a rate of 70.8%. When talking about shots from beyond the perimeter, Western Illinois made 3 of 13 attempts (23.1%). When all was said and done, the Leathernecks ended up going 22 out of 60 from the field which gave them a percentage of 36.7%. The Leathernecks permitted Southern Indiana to convert 35 of their 67 tries from the floor which had them sitting at 52.2% in this matchup. They went 46.4% from behind the 3-point line via 13 out of 28 and walked away from this one shooting 13 of 16 at the charity stripe (81.3%). In the matter of cleaning the glass, Western Illinois permitted Southern Indiana to collect 44 overall (10 offensive).

Isaiah Griffin pitched in for the Leathernecks for the contest. He accumulated 13 points in his 28 minutes on the court and totaled 1 assist for the contest. He converted 4 out of 13 in this matchup giving him a rate of 30.8%, and earned 2 rebounds.

Western Illinois has a win-loss record of 4-17 for the campaign. As an offense, the Leathernecks are connecting on 40.6% from the field, which ranks 345th in the nation. Western Illinois has scored 1,383 pts for the season (65.9 per contest) and they grab 34.3 rebounds per contest. They are dishing out assists 8.0 times per game (365th in college) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 12.0 times per contest. The Leathernecks are committing 16.4 fouls per game and they connect on 67.4% from the charity stripe.

The Leathernecks on defense are ranked 217th in college in points given up per game with 75.0. They are forcing their opponents into 11.0 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 46.0% from the floor (293rd in college hoops). The Western Illinois defense gives up 36.2% on shots from 3-point land (164 of 453) and opponents are knocking down 71.0% of their shots from the free throw line. They allow 13.0 assists and 35.4 boards on a nightly basis, which ranks them 159th and 239th in those categories on the defensive end.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take UT Martin

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