Valparaiso Beacons vs Indiana State Sycamores Prediction, 1/31/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Valparaiso Beacons vs Indiana State Sycamores

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Location: Hulman Center in Terre Haute, IN

TV: ESPN+

Hulman Center is the location where the Indiana State Sycamores (9-13) will take on the Valparaiso Beacons (10-11) on Saturday.

The Valparaiso Beacons faced Belmont and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 78-77 in their last contest. With respect to personal fouls, the Beacons left the arena with 20 and Belmont totaled 22 personal fouls. They knocked down 11 out of their 24 tries from beyond the perimeter. Belmont finished the contest at 65.0% from the free throw line by knocking down 13 of 20 shots. Moreover, Belmont snagged 27 rebounds (5 offensive, 22 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. Belmont distributed 18 assists and had 3 steals for the contest. With regard to defending, Valparaiso allowed 54.0% from the field on 27 out of 50 shooting. They also recorded 11 assists in the game while forcing 14 turnovers and having 8 steals. In the matter of rebounding, they compiled a total of 26 with 8 of them being of the offensive sort. At the charity stripe, the Beacons made 16 of 21 attempts for a rate of 76.2%. Valparaiso wrapped up the game with a 42.6% FG percentage (26 of 61) and made 9 out of their 27 shots from beyond the arc.

Owen Dease is a guy who came through for the matchup. He accounted for 15 points on 6 out of 15 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 35 mins and grabbed 4 rebounds. He finished the contest at 40.0% from the field but finished the game without a dime.

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Valparaiso will play this contest with a win-loss mark of 10-11 on the season. They turn the ball over 10.7 times per game and as a team they commit 18.4 personal fouls per contest. As a unit, Valparaiso is collecting 36.6 boards per game and has accounted for 242 dimes for the campaign, which has them ranked 330th in the nation in terms of passing the ball. The Beacons are shooting 32.3% on three-point attempts (149 of 461) and 72.1% from the free throw line. They are averaging 71.1 points per outing (305th in D-1) while hitting 41.1% from the field.

When they are on defense, the Beacons are able to force 11.9 turnovers per game and they draw 19.5 fouls. They are giving up 31.4% on shots from downtown and they rank 91st in college hoops in points per game allowed (70.1). The Beacons defense is allowing an opponent shooting percentage of 43.3% (510 of 1,179) and they surrender 36.2 rebounds per contest as a group. They are 68th in college in giving up assists with 246 conceded on the season.

The last time they took the court, the Indiana State Sycamores took a defeat with a final score of 76-74 against UIC. Concerning how they attacked the glass, Indiana State allowed UIC to snag 25 overall (12 on the offensive glass). They finished 41.2% from distance by going 7 of 17 and finished the game at 15 of 20 from the free throw line (75.0%). The Sycamores permitted UIC to knock down 27 out of 59 attempts from the field which left them with a shooting percentage of 45.8% in this matchup. Overall, the Sycamores shot 30 for 57 from the floor which had them sitting at 52.6%. In terms of shooting from beyond the arc, Indiana State buried 10 of their 27 tries (37.0%). They were able to knock down 4 of the free throw tries for a percentage of 50.0%. UIC committed 9 fouls for the contest which took the Sycamores to the free throw line for a total of 8 shots. They also turned it over 20 times, while recording 5 steals for the matchup. The Sycamores earned 20 defensive rebounds and 13 offensive rebounds for a total of 33 in this game.

Sterling Young ended up being a factor for the Sycamores for this contest. He knocked down 4 of 8 for this game for a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and had 1 rebound. He accumulated 14 points in his 29 mins on the court and added 6 assists in the game.

Indiana State has a record of 9-13 for the campaign. The Sycamores are committing 15.8 personal fouls every game and they go 69.3% from the charity stripe. They are getting an assist 17.7 times per game (26th in Division 1) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 13.7 times per contest. Indiana State has accounted for 1,660 points on the season (75.5 per game) and they pull in 35.8 boards per contest. On the offensive side of the ball, the Sycamores are shooting 46.4% from the floor, which is 120th in D-1.

The Indiana State defense concedes 32.3% on three-point shots (156 of 483) and their opposition makes 69.8% of their free throw attempts. They have conceded 11.9 dimes and 36.3 rebounds every game, which is 69th and 282nd in D-1. The Sycamores on the defensive side of the court are 221st in college in points per game surrendered with 75.2. They are able to force 11.0 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 44.3% from the field (209th in the country).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Indiana State

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