Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Delaware Blue Hens Prediction, 2/18/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Delaware Blue Hens

Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Location: Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, DE

TV: ESPN+

The Delaware Blue Hens (9-16) will try to defeat the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (14-11) at Bob Carpenter Center on Wednesday.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers took the court against MTSU and earned the victory with a final of 82-80 in their last contest. Western Kentucky walked away from the contest having earned a 48.9% field goal percentage (23 of 47) and made 8 out of their 22 shots from 3-point land. From the charity stripe, the Hilltoppers converted 28 of 32 tries for a percentage of 87.5%. Concerning hauling in rebounds, they collected 28 with 6 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 13 assists in the game as well as forcing the opposition into 10 turnovers and getting 5 steals. Pertaining to defense, Western Kentucky let their opponent shoot 48.5% from the floor on 32 of 66 shooting. MTSU distributed 14 dimes and had 6 steals for the game. In addition, MTSU had 31 rebounds (11 offensive, 20 defensive), but finished the game with no rejections. MTSU finished the game shooting 69.2% at the free throw line by making 9 of 13 shots. They knocked down 7 of their 27 attempts from downtown. In relation to personal fouls, the Hilltoppers ended up walking away with 17 while MTSU had 23 personal fouls.

Teagan Moore is one player who was a factor in this game. He scored 28 points on 6 out of 10 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 26 minutes played and grabbed 5 rebounds. He ended up shooting 60.0% from the field but had no dimes when the game ended.

Get all of our NCAA Betting Picks

Western Kentucky comes into this matchup with a win-loss mark of 14-11 on the campaign. They average 77.5 pts per contest (147th in Division 1) while shooting 39.7% from the floor. The Hilltoppers are shooting 32.8% on 3-pointers (211 of 643) and 75.6% from the free throw line. As a team, Western Kentucky is snagging 40.4 rebounds per contest and has earned 322 dimes on the season, which ranks 293rd in Division 1 in terms of passing. They are turning it over 10.6 times per contest and as a team they commit 19.6 personal fouls per contest.

On the defensive end, the Hilltoppers are forcing 12.9 turnovers per game and they draw 18.5 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 231st in college hoops in giving up assists to the opposition with 361 conceded this year. The Hilltoppers defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 42.3% (611 of 1,446) and they surrender 38.6 boards per contest as a team. They are relinquishing 34.4% on 3-pointers while they are 210th in college in points per game from their opponents (74.6).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Delaware Blue Hens walked away with a victory by a final of 76-67 against Missouri State. The Blue Hens recorded 27 defensive rebounds and 2 offensive rebounds totaling 29 in this contest. They coughed it up 8 times, while getting 1 steal for the matchup. Missouri State was called for 18 personal fouls for the contest which got the Blue Hens to the charity stripe for a total of 17 shots. They were able to make 16 of them for a percentage of 94.1%. When discussing shots from beyond the arc, Delaware made 8 out of their 18 attempts (44.4%). When the final whistle blew, the Blue Hens finished 26 for 49 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 53.1%. The Blue Hens allowed Missouri State to knock down 22 out of their 59 attempts from the floor which had them shooting 37.3% for the matchup. They shot 35.7% from downtown by hitting 10 out of 28 and finished the game at 13 out of 18 at the free throw line (72.2%). Concerning cleaning the glass, Delaware allowed Missouri State to snag 30 overall (10 on the offensive glass).

Justyn Fernandez ended up being a major contributor for the Blue Hens for the matchup. He made 6 of 11 in the game for a field goal percentage of 54.5%, and accounted for 3 rebounds. He racked up 23 points in his 40 mins of playing time, but wasn't able to get an assist.

Delaware has a mark of 9-16 on the year. In terms of offensive execution, the Blue Hens are hitting on 44.7% from the floor, which is ranked 218th in college hoops. Delaware has totaled 1,672 pts for the campaign (66.9 per contest) and they pull in 31.5 boards per contest. They are earning an assist 12.5 times per game (290th in Division 1) and they lose possession via turnover 12.1 times per game. The Blue Hens are committing 14.3 fouls per contest and they hit 76.9% from the charity stripe.

The Delaware defense gives up 33.9% on shots from beyond the arc (215 of 634) and their opposition makes 76.5% of their free throw shots. They have surrendered 14.5 assists and 34.3 boards every game, which is 273rd and 177th in the country. The Blue Hens on defense are ranked 124th in the country in points per game surrendered with 71.8. They are forcing 9.1 TO's every game and have let teams shoot 42.6% from the field (100th in college).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Western Kentucky

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.