FIU Golden Panthers vs Sam Houston Bearkats Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our FIU vs Sam Houston NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Huntsville.

FIU vs Sam Houston Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Golden Panthers versus the Bearkats? Tip off is at at 3:30 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, TX. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 153.5 points, and Sam Houston is favored by -7.5 to win at home against FIU.

FIU vs. Sam Houston Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: FIU Golden Panthers at Sam Houston Bearkats
Where: Huntsville at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum
Date: Saturday, January 11th
Betting Odds SMHO -7.5, FLINT +240 | SMHO -299 O/U 153.5

Golden Panthers Preview: Can FIU Lock in a Road Win?

FIU dropped to 5-9 on the season after an 81-64 road loss to Louisiana Tech on Thursday. The Panthers entered the game as +8 underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game hit 145, going over the O/U line of 139.5.

FIU found themselves in a deep hole early, trailing 50-27 at halftime. They showed some fight in the second half, outscoring the Bulldogs 37-31, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the early deficit.

Golden Panthers Offense Breakdown

FIU's offense put up 64 points in their last game, shooting 43.5% from the field and hitting just 25% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 47.8%, and they connected on 80% of their free throws, going 20-for-25 from the line.

Al Green led the way with 21 points, hitting 5-of-7 threes, while Kaden Cooper added 19 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 81.8% overall. Daniel Batcho was nearly perfect, making 7-of-8 shots, and Jonathan Aybar contributed 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

Golden Panthers Team Defense

Even though FIU gave up 81 points, they struggled to slow down the opposing team, who shot 58% from the field. The Golden Panthers allowed 67% shooting on two-point attempts, with the other team making 25 of 37 shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, FIU's defense gave up 7 threes on 18 attempts, a 38% success rate. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 17 times, where they made 10 free throws, shooting 58%. FIU allowed 14 offensive rebounds in the game.

Bearkats Preview: Is A Home Victory Likely for the Favored Bearkats?

Sam Houston Bearkats Recent Game/Games

The Bearkats dropped to 4-9 on the season after a 76-68 loss to Liberty on Thursday. Sam Houston, who were +4 point underdogs, didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 144 went over the O/U line of 141.5.

After trailing 35-33 at halftime, the Bearkats allowed 41 points in the 2nd half while scoring 35 of their own.

Bearkats Offense Breakdown

Sam Houston's offense put up 68 points in their last game, shooting 42.1% from the field and 49.1% in effective field goal percentage. They connected on 8 of 20 three-point attempts, hitting 40% from deep, and were efficient at the free-throw line, making 12 of 15 for 80%.

Lamar Wilkerson led the way with 25 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 52.6% overall and 40% from three. Colin Porter was perfect from the field, hitting all 4 of his shots, including 3 threes, and added 5 assists to go with his 17 points.

Bearkats Team Defense

Sam Houston's defense gave up 76 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 42% from the field, hitting 24 of 57 shots. Inside the arc, they connected on 16 of 37 attempts, good for 43%.

From three-point range, the opposing team shot 40%, making 8 of 20 attempts. They also went 12/15 from the free-throw line, shooting 80%. Sam Houston allowed 7 offensive rebounds.

Golden Panthers vs Bearkats Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last three road games, FIU has an ATS record of just 0-3. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 67 points per game.
In their last five games at home, the Bearkats have a straight up record of 0-5 while going 0-5 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 70 points per game in these contests.
As the betting underdog, the Golden Panthers have an ATS mark of just 4-6 in their last ten games. FIU posted a straight up mark of 1-9 in these matchups.
The last ten games that Sam Houston was favored, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 6-4 straight up.