FIU Golden Panthers vs Sam Houston Bearkats Matchup

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

Sam Houston vs FIU Prediction

Planning on watching today's Bearkats and Golden Panthers game? Catch the action at Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, FL, as the Golden Panthers hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. In this Conference USA matchup, Sam Houston is favored bt -1 vs. FIU. The over/under for the game is 144 points.

Sam Houston vs. FIU Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Sam Houston Bearkats at FIU Golden Panthers
Where: Miami at Ocean Bank Convocation Center
Date: Thursday, February 6th
Betting Odds SMHO -1, SMHO -118 | FLINT -102 O/U 144

Bearkats Preview: Can the Bearkats Grab a Win on the Road?

Sam Houston Bearkats Recent Game/Games

Sam Houston fell to 5-14 on the season after a 66-61 road loss to Louisiana Tech on Saturday. Entering the game as +7.5 point underdogs, the Bearkats kept it closer than expected.

Trailing 32-30 at halftime, Sam Houston’s defense stepped up in the 2nd half, allowing just 19 points. However, they managed only 21 points offensively. The game’s total points of 127 fell short of the 144.5 O/U line.

Bearkats Offense Breakdown

Sam Houston struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 35.6% from the field and 30.4% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 40.7%, and they managed only 8 offensive rebounds, finishing with 11 assists as a team.

Sean Newman Jr. led the way with 22 points and 8 assists, while Lamar Wilkerson added 17 points, hitting 3 of 5 from three-point range. Amaree Abram also contributed 16 points, connecting on 4 of 7 from deep.

Bearkats Team Defense

Sam Houston’s defense held their opponent to 66 points on 37% shooting from the field. They gave up 23 made field goals on 61 attempts.

From three-point range, Sam Houston allowed 7 made threes on 25 attempts, a 28% shooting percentage. Their opponent also went 13/18 from the free-throw line, shooting 72%.

Golden Panthers Preview: Will the FIU Defense Show Up at Home?

FIU Golden Panthers Recent Game/Games

The Golden Panthers dropped to 5-15 on the season after a 73-67 road loss to Kennesaw State on Saturday. FIU entered the game as +7.5 point underdogs and managed to cover the spread.

FIU trailed 35-29 at halftime and matched Kennesaw State’s 38 points in the second half. The game’s total points of 140 fell short of the 151.5 O/U line.

Golden Panthers Offense Breakdown

FIU's offense put up 67 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field overall. They connected on just 2 of 10 attempts from beyond the arc, hitting 20% of their threes, while their two-point shooting was strong at 57.1% (24/42).

At the free-throw line, the Golden Panthers struggled, making only 13 of 27 attempts for a 48.1% success rate. Jayden Brewer led the way with 22 points, shooting 64.3% from the field and grabbing 7 rebounds.

Golden Panthers Team Defense

Despite FIU's defense giving up 73 points, they held their opponent to 43% shooting from the field, with 24 made baskets on 55 attempts. Inside the arc, FIU allowed 18 two-point field goals on 34 attempts, a 52% shooting rate.

From three-point range, FIU's defense limited their opponent to 6 made threes on 21 attempts, a 28% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 19 free throws, shooting 82%. FIU gave up 9 offensive rebounds in the game.

Bearkats vs Golden Panthers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Bearkats last three road games, the team averaged 64 points per game while allowing 70. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-2, while going 0-3 straight-up.
In their last five home games, FIU has averaged 69 points per game while allowing 75. The team's record in this stretch was 1-4 while going 3-2.
Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Golden Panthers have gone 2-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-3.
Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Sam Houston has an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 5-5 straight up.