Check out our free Sam Houston State vs Texas-Rio Grande Valley pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Edinburg. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.

Sam Houston State vs Texas-Rio Grande Valley Pick & Preview: Wednesday, February 1st Betting Odds

Bearkats vs Vaqueros Matchup at a Glance

  • Sport: NCAAB
  • Teams: Sam Houston State Bearkats at Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros
  • Where: Edinburg at UTRGV Fieldhouse
  • Date: Wednesday, February 1st
  • Betting Odds: Sam Houston State -9.5, SMHO -500 | UTRGV +361 O/U 144.0

Bearkats Preview:

Sam Houston State will take their 4 game win streak into today’s game. So far, the team has an overall record of 16-5. On the road, the Bearkats will be playing their 11th game of the season, having gone 7-4. So far, the Bearkats have been favored 10 times, going 9-1 straight up. In today’s matchup, the oddsmakers have Sam Houston State as -9.5 point favorites.

Sam Houston State’s leading scorer this season is Qua Grant, who is averaging 13.57 points per contest. So far, Grant has accounted for 17.54% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 4.24 rebounds per game and 4.14 assists. Donte Powers is the second leading scorer for the Bearkats, averaging 11.24 points per game. Between him and Powers, they are accounting for 32.1% of the team’s scoring.

Offensive production has been hard to come by for Sam Houston State this season, as they are currently ranked 274th in college basketball at 68.8 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 Bearkats’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 34.3%, placing them 227th in the NCAA.

Vaqueros Preview:

Heading into today’s matchup vs Sam Houston State, the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros will be taking the floor for the 23rd time this season and have an overall record of 11-11. So far this season, Texas-Rio Grande Valley has played 12 games at home, sitting with a record of 10-2. For the season, Texas-Rio Grande Valley has been the underdog in 16 games, sitting with a mark of 5-11. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Vaqueros being +9.5 point underdogs.

Texas-Rio Grande Valley’s leading scorer this season is Justin Johnson, who is averaging 21.09 points per contest. So far, Johnson has accounted for 26.59% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 5.23 rebounds per game and 2.95 assists. Will Johnston is the second leading scorer for the Vaqueros, averaging 15.86 points per game. Between him and Johnston, they are accounting for 45.7% of the team’s scoring.

Offensive production has been hard to come by for Texas-Rio Grande Valley this season, as they are currently ranked 187th in college basketball at 71.4 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 Vaqueros’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 30.4%, placing them 451st in the NCAA.

Free Spread Prediction: Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros +9.5

Our analysis of the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros vs Sam Houston State Bearkats game indicates that Texas-Rio Grande Valley will cover the spread as +9.5 point underdogs. We think the line for this matchup is too high, giving Texas-Rio Grande Valley an opportunity to cover. Even if they are behind throughout the game, the Vaqueros have a strong chance of keeping the final score closer than oddsmakers are anticipating. In these cases, the better team’s pace of play can play a significant role in covering such a large spread. However, since both teams have possession rates that are close to the NCAA average, Texas-Rio Grande Valley won’t have to play an unfamiliar style of basketball. Our model recommends betting on the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros at +9.5.