VMI Keydets vs Samford Bulldogs Prediction, 2/26/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: VMI Keydets vs Samford Bulldogs

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026

Location: Pete Hanna Center in Homewood, AL

TV: ESPN+

Pete Hanna Center is where the Samford Bulldogs (16-13) will try to beat the VMI Keydets (6-23) on Thursday.

The VMI Keydets faced Western Carolina and ended up losing by a score of 81-62 in their last contest. When talking about fouls, the Keydets ended up with 13 while Western Carolina had 16 fouls. They also buried 10 of their 30 attempts from 3-point range. Western Carolina walked away from this one shooting 88.2% from the charity stripe by making 15 of their 17 attempts. Furthermore, Western Carolina grabbed 38 rebounds (8 offensive, 30 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. Western Carolina recorded 20 dimes and had 3 steals in the game. Pertaining to the defense, VMI allowed the other team to shoot 45.2% from the field on 28 of 62 shooting. They also dished out 13 dimes for the contest as well as forcing 2 turnovers and having 1 steal. With respect to getting rebounds, they earned 25 with 4 of them being on the offensive end. From the free throw line, the Keydets converted 7 of 11 attempts for a percentage of 63.6%. VMI walked away from the game having earned a 39.3% FG percentage (22 of 56) and knocked down 11 of their 29 3-pointers.

Walker Andrews is someone who played a role in the game. He accumulated 13 points on 4 of 7 shooting. He was on the court for 28 mins played and also snagged 1 board. He finished the game at 57.1% from the field but had no assists when the time ran out.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Today

VMI steps onto the hardwood with a win-loss mark of 6-23 this year. They have an average of 72.2 points per game (272nd in Division 1) while going 40.1% from the field. The Keydets are shooting 33.1% on shots from distance (313 of 945) and 72.9% from the charity stripe. As a team, VMI is snagging 33.3 rebounds per game and has totaled 369 dimes on the campaign, which is 241st in college hoops in terms of passing. They turn it over 10.3 times per contest and as a team they are committing 17.1 fouls every game.

Defensively, the Keydets are able to force 11.5 turnovers per game while drawing 15.9 fouls. They are ranked 362nd in college in allowing assists to their opponents with 513 conceded this year. The Keydets are giving up a field goal percentage of 46.0% (804 of 1,747) and they relinquish 40.8 boards per game as a team. They give up 35.1% on 3-point attempts while they are 322nd in the country in points per game from their opponents (79.7).

When they last stepped on the court, the Samford Bulldogs took a loss by a score of 89-86 when they played Mercer. In reference to rebounding, Samford permitted Mercer to collect 31 in total (5 on the offensive glass). They shot 41.2% from 3-point land by going 7 out of 17 and walked away from this one shooting 18 of 25 at the charity stripe (72.0%). The Bulldogs allowed Mercer to bury 32 out of their 50 tries from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 64.0% for the game. At the conclusion of this game, the Bulldogs finished 30 out of 64 from the floor which gave them a rate of 46.9%. When it comes to shots from distance, Samford knocked down 6 out of 16 attempts (37.5%). They were able to make 20 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 87.0%. Mercer was called for 19 fouls in this matchup which got the Bulldogs to the charity stripe for 23 shots. They gave up possession 6 times, while getting 7 steals in the matchup. The Bulldogs were able to snag 18 defensive rebounds and 8 offensive boards for a total of 26 in this contest.

Dylan Faulkner ended up being a major contributor for the Bulldogs in the game. He converted 12 out of 16 for the contest for a rate of 75.0%, and earned 8 rebounds. He recorded 27 points in his 28 mins on the court and had 3 assists for the game.

Samford has a mark of 16-13 on the season. The Bulldogs are committing 16.1 fouls every game and they hit 68.6% from the free throw line. Their rate of earning assists is at 14.7 times per game (131st in the country) and they are turning it over 9.0 times per game. Samford has tallied 2,277 points on the year (78.5 per game) and they average 36.4 rebounds per contest. When it comes to offensive execution, the Bulldogs are connecting on 44.9% from the floor, which ranks 198th in the nation.

The Bulldogs are ranked 227th in college in points per game surrendered with 75.3. They are able to force 9.3 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 44.5% from the floor (205th in college). The Samford defense surrenders 35.4% on shots from behind the 3-point line (220 of 622) and their opposition makes 74.3% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have given up 12.5 dimes and 35.7 rebounds on a nightly basis, which is 108th and 257th in those categories.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Samford

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.