Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs FIU Panthers Prediction, 3/7/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs FIU Panthers

Date: Saturday, March 7, 2026

Location: Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, FL

TV: ESPN+

Ocean Bank Convocation Center is the location where the FIU Panthers (14-15) will attempt to defeat the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (18-11) on Saturday.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers took the court against UTEP and earned the victory with a final of 97-65 in their last game. In the matter of personal fouls, the Hilltoppers ended up finishing with 20 and UTEP finished the game with 21 personal fouls. They buried 8 out of their 28 shots from distance. UTEP shot 65.5% at the charity stripe by knocking down 19 of their 29 shots. Moreover, UTEP grabbed 26 rebounds (8 offensive, 18 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. UTEP distributed 10 assists and had 6 steals in this contest. In relation to defense, Western Kentucky allowed the other team to shoot 35.8% from the floor on 19 out of 53 shooting. They also doled out 21 assists for the game as well as creating 12 turnovers and earning 7 steals. Regarding pulling down rebounds, they collected 35 with 4 of them being of the offensive variety. At the free throw line, the Hilltoppers made 24 of 28 attempts for a percentage of 85.7%. Western Kentucky finished the contest with a 59.3% FG percentage (32 out of 54) and converted 9 of their 20 three-point shots.

Grant Newell is someone who was a factor for the contest. He ended up with 25 points on 8 out of 13 shooting. He played 29 mins and pulled down 7 boards. He finished the game shooting 61.5% from the field and distributed 1 assist.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Tonight

Western Kentucky heads into this matchup with a mark of 18-11 on the season. They average 79.6 points per game (96th in the country) on 41.3% from the field. The Hilltoppers are hitting 34.1% on three-point attempts (250 of 733) and 76.6% from the free throw line. As a team, Western Kentucky is pulling down 39.7 rebounds per game and has totaled 395 assists on the season, which is 252nd in college hoops in terms of passing the ball. They are turning it over 10.3 times per contest and as a unit they are committing 19.9 fouls on a nightly basis.

Defensively, the Hilltoppers are forcing their opponents into 12.8 turnovers per game while drawing 18.6 personal fouls. They are ranked 195th in college in allowing assists to the opposition with 409 conceded for the season. The Hilltoppers defensively are giving up a FG percentage of 42.4% (701 of 1,655) and they surrender 37.4 rebounds per contest as a team. They are giving up 33.3% from beyond the arc while they are 207th in the nation in points per game allowed (74.5).

The last time they took the court, the FIU Panthers took home the win by a final score of 84-76 against Louisiana Tech. Concerning cleaning the glass, FIU permitted Louisiana Tech to snag 28 overall (11 on the offensive side). They went 38.9% from beyond the arc by shooting 7 out of 18 and ended up going 19 out of 26 at the free throw line (73.1%). The Panthers permitted Louisiana Tech to convert 25 of their 53 tries from the floor which left them with a shooting percentage of 47.2% in this matchup. When the final whistle blew, the Panthers ended up going 25 for 53 from the floor which had them shooting 47.2%. In relation to 3-point attempts, FIU converted 13 of 23 attempts (56.5%). They were able to knock down 21 of the free throw tries for a rate of 77.8%. Louisiana Tech committed 22 personal fouls in this contest which got the Panthers to the free throw line for a total of 27 tries. They also turned it over 14 times, while earning 7 steals in the game. The Panthers recorded 16 defensive rebounds and 7 offensive rebounds totaling 23 in this game.

Corey Stephenson pitched in for the Panthers in this matchup. He tallied 21 points in his 37 mins on the court and totaled 2 dimes for the game. He made 7 out of 14 in this contest giving him a rate of 50.0%, and had 3 rebounds.

FIU has a mark of 14-15 on the season. The Panthers are committing 18.0 fouls every game and they go 69.2% from the charity stripe. They are getting an assist 15.1 times per contest (106th in the country) and they turn it over 12.9 times per game. FIU has accounted for 2,349 pts this year (81.0 per contest) and they pull down 37.6 rebounds per contest. When it comes to offensive execution, the Panthers are shooting 45.5% from the field, which ranks 170th in the nation.

The Panthers on defense are ranked 305th in college hoops in PPG allowed with 78.5. They have forced 15.3 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 43.5% from the floor (138th in the country). The FIU defense concedes 35.5% on 3-pointers (281 of 792) and opponents are connecting on 71.2% of their shots from the free throw line. They surrender 16.6 dimes and 37.2 boards every game, which ranks them 349th and 331st in those categories on the defensive end.

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

Tony Sink'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.