Liberty Flames vs Sam Houston Bearkats Matchup

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

Sam Houston vs Liberty Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Bearkats and Flames. The game is starting at 4:00 ET on ESPNN, and it's hosted by the Flames at Liberty Arena in Lynchburg, VA. Get ready to place your bets! The odds for this Conference USA conference game currently have Liberty as the -12.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 144.5 points.

Sam Houston vs. Liberty Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Sam Houston Bearkats at Liberty Flames
Where: Lynchburg at Liberty Arena
Date: Saturday, February 8th
Betting Odds LIBRTY -12.5, SMHO +590 | LIBRTY -900 O/U 144.5

Bearkats Preview: Are Sam Houston Ready for a Road Win?

Sam Houston Bearkats Recent Game/Games

Sam Houston fell to 5-15 on the season after an 85-82 loss to FIU on Thursday. The Bearkats, who were -1.5 favorites, didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 167 exceeded the O/U line of 145.5.

Leading 39-38 at halftime, Sam Houston scored 35 points in the 2nd half but allowed 36, narrowly losing the game.

Bearkats Offense Breakdown

Sam Houston put up 82 points in their last game, shooting 42.4% from the field. They connected on 44% of their threes, making 11 of 25 attempts, and hit 84% from the free-throw line. Their effective field goal percentage was 50.8%, and they grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, with 15 assists as a team.

Jayden Brewer led the way with 25 points, shooting 47.1% overall and 66.7% from deep. Josiah Hammons also shot 66.7% from three, hitting 6 of 9 attempts. Kalifa Sakho was perfect from the field, going 6 for 6, while Marcus Boykin contributed 9 rebounds and 9 assists.

Bearkats Team Defense

Even though Sam Houston gave up 85 points, they held their opponent to 38% shooting from the field, with 29 made baskets on 75 attempts. Inside the arc, the Bearkats allowed 21 two-point field goals on 52 attempts, a 40% shooting rate.

From three-point range, Sam Houston's defense saw 8 shots go in on 23 attempts, a 34% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 19, shooting 70%. The Bearkats gave up 19 offensive rebounds.

Flames Preview: Pressure Builds for Liberty as Home Favorites

Liberty Flames Recent Game/Games

Liberty improved to 15-5 on the season with a 77-53 win over Louisiana Tech on Thursday. The Flames, who were -8 favorites, covered the spread with the victory.

Liberty led 39-23 at halftime and added 38 points in the 2nd half while holding the Bulldogs to 30. The game’s total points of 130 fell short of the 134.5 O/U line.

Flames Offense Breakdown

Liberty's offense was clicking in their last game, as they put up 77 points, shooting 50% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 60.3%, thanks in large part to their 52.2% shooting from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 23 attempts.

Al Green led the way with 18 points, hitting 4 of 5 from deep and shooting 77.8% overall. The Flames dished out 19 assists, with Zach Cleveland contributing 5 assists along with 7 rebounds.

Flames Team Defense

Liberty's defense gave up 53 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 50% from the field, hitting 29 of their 58 attempts. Inside the arc, they shot 48%, making 17 of 35 two-point shots.

From three-point range, the opposing team connected on 52% of their shots, going 12 for 23. They also went to the free-throw line 12 times, making 7, for 58%. Liberty limited them to 4 offensive rebounds.

Bearkats vs Flames Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last three road contests, the Bearkats offense has averaged 68 points per game while allowing an average of 73. Sam Houston posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 1-2 ATS.
The Flames are 3-2 ATS in their last home games and 3-2 straight-up.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Bearkats have gone 1-8-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-10.
In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Flames have a strong straight up record of 4-1. In addition, their ATS record was 4-1 in these scenarios.