Chicago State vs Central Connecticut Prediction 2/5/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Chicago State Cougars and the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils will meet on Thursday night in an NEC matchup at William H. Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, Connecticut

Central Connecticut Blue Devils Betting Preview

The Central Connecticut Blue Devils enter Thursday’s contest with an 11–10 overall win‑loss record, including a 5–5 mark in conference play and a 5–3 record at home. The Blue Devils have compiled wins over St. Francis, Stonehill, New Haven and Sacred Heart, while dropping recent games to Long Island, Fairfield and the Seton Hall Pirates. Last month, in the Central Connecticut Blue Devils 98–90 victory over the St. Francis Red Flash, Central Connecticut forward Darin Smith Jr. amassed 34 points (10 of 14 shooting from the field: 4 of 4 shooting from three-point range), 9 rebounds and 2 assists illustrating his ability to lead the Blue Devils frontcourt.  

The Central Connecticut Blue Devils are averaging 70.1 points on 44.4 percent shooting from the field and 35.8 percent shooting from three‑point range (45th in nation) per game. Shifting our focus to the defensive side of the basketball, the Blue Devils are allowing opponents 72.7 points per contest.

Sophomore forward Darin Smith Jr. leads the Central Connecticut Blue Devils averaging 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1 assist per game. Junior forward Max Frazier contributes 11.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per contest, while senior guard Jay Rodgers averages 11.7 points and a robust 7.1 assists per game.

Chicago State Cougars Betting Preview

The Chicago State Cougars enter Thursday’s contest with a 3–19 win‑loss record, including a 1–8 mark in conference play and an abysmal 1-14 record on the road. The Cougars have amassed wins over Mercyhurst and Loyola Chicago, while dropping recent games to St. Francis, New Haven, Le Moyne and the Long Island Sharks. More recently, in the Chicago State Cougars thrilling 78–74 victory over Mercyhurst five days ago, forward CJ Ray delivered a standout performance scoring 37 points (13 of 20 shooting from the field: 4 of 5 shooting from three-point range) showcasing his ability to lead the Cougars offense.

The Chicago State Cougars average 64.7 points on 39.3 percent shooting from the field and 32.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game. The Cougars are allowing opponents 80.1 points per contest which ranks a dreadful 304th in the nation.  

Senior forward CJ Ray leads the Chicago State Cougars averaging 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal per game. Senior guard Braelon Bush provides the Cougars with further backcourt depth averaging 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per contest.

Why the Central Connecticut Blue Devils Will Win

• Frontcourt play. Sophomore forward Darin Smith Jr. leads the Blue Devils frontcourt averaging 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1 assist per contest.

• Defensive edge. The Central Connecticut Blue Devils are allowing opponents 72.7 points per game. Conversely, the Chicago State Cougars are allowing opponents 80.1 points per contest.

• Enhanced motivation. The Blue Devils have lost four of the team’s last four games played this season. Clearly, Connecticut needs to start stacking wins if they want to play basketball in the postseason.

Why the Chicago State Cougars Will Win

 • Frontcourt play. Forward CJ Ray leads the Cougars with 13.5 points per game. Ray is coming off posting 37 points versus Mercyhurst in the team’s last outing.

• Recent momentum. The Chicago State Cougars enter tomorrow’s game on the heels of a  win over Mercyhurst five days ago.

Central Connecticut vs. Chicago State Prediction

This matchup features Chicago State’s quality frontcourt play (forward CJ Ray posted 37 points in last game) against a Central Connecticut team that is far more efficient offensively and significantly stronger basketball team at home in 2025. Chicago State’s defensive issues and lack of scoring depth make them difficult to trust in this matchup. Having stated that, I am backing the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils to win this game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Central Connecticut TBA