Check out our free Arkansas State vs Texas State pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in San Marcos. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.

Arkansas State vs Texas State Pick & Preview: Thursday, February 9th Betting Odds

Red Wolves vs Bobcats Matchup at a Glance

  • Sport: NCAAB
  • Teams: Arkansas State Red Wolves at Texas State Bobcats
  • Where: San Marcos at Strahan Coliseum
  • Date: Thursday, February 9th
  • Betting Odds: Arkansas State +7.5, ARKST +273 | TXST -360 O/U 123.0

Red Wolves Preview:

Arkansas State heads into this matchup having played 25 games and have an overall record sitting at 10-15. On the road, the Red Wolves will be playing their 9th game of the season, having gone 1-8. So far, the Red Wolves have been the underdog 14 times, going 2-12 straight up. Heading into today’s contest, they are the +7.5 underdogs on the spread.

Omar El-Sheikh comes into today’s game as the Red Wolves’ leading scorer at 11.16 points per contest. Not only has El-Sheikh been key to the team’s scoring efforts, but he is Arkansas State’s top rebounder at 9.36 boards per contest. Behind El-Sheikh, the team has benefited from the strong play of Caleb Fields, who is second on the team in scoring at 11.08 points per game. Overall, he has hit 43.5% of his shots and is adding 3.36 boards per game.

Offensive production has been hard to come by for Arkansas State this season, as they are currently ranked 211th in college basketball at 70.9 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Red Wolves’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 31.1%, placing them 411th in the NCAA.

Bobcats Preview:

Through 25 games, the Texas State Bobcats have an overall record of 11-14. So far this season, Texas State has played 11 games at home, sitting with a record of 4-7. The Bobcats’ are sitting with a betting line that is -7.5 points in their favor. For the season, Texas State has been favored to win in 8 games, sitting with a mark of 4-4.

Texas State will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Mason Harrell who is averaging 16.09 points per game for the Bobcats. Harrell is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Bobcats’ offensive game plan is the play of Tyrel Morgan who has hit 44.8% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 8.71 points per game.

Texas State comes into their matchup vs Arkansas State looking to improve their offensive numbers, as they are just 217th in college basketball at 70.7 points per game. One bright spot for them has been their ability to knock down 3-point shots, as they have connected at a rate of 38.1%. So far, 30.48% of the Bobcats’ shots have been from beyond the arc. When looking at the team’s pace of play, they are currently a below average unit at 64.2 possessions per game.

Free Spread Prediction: Texas State Bobcats -7.5

In this matchup between the Texas State Bobcats and Arkansas State Red Wolves, the oddsmakers have Texas State as the -7.5 point favories on the spread. According to our college basketball betting model, we anticipate the Bobcats to cover the spread as the home favorites. We are looking for the Bobcats’ offensive attack to put together a strong outside shooting performance. For the season, Texas State is averaging 6.39 made 3’s per game on a shooting percentage of 38.1%. A good outing from downtown will make a huge difference in the game as Arkansas State has struggled with their outside shot this season. This scenario has us feeling confident in taking Texas State laying the points.