| MATCHUP | Chicago State Cougers | Mercyhurst Lakers |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 2-18 | 9-11 |
| Where | Mercyhurst Athletic Center, Erie, PA | |
| When | Sunday, January 25, 2026 | |
| Time | 02:00 PM EST | |
| TV | NEC Front Row | |
The Chicago State Cougars and the Mercyhurst Lakers meet Sunday in college basketball action from the MAC in Erie. Here’s a Chicago State vs Mercyhurst prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Chicago State vs Mercyhurst pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.
Chicago State Cougars Betting Preview
The Cougars have had a rough year—to put things mildly. Chicago State lost their first eight outings of the season, then hit a 2-1 stretch with wins over St. Xavier IL and Loyola Chicago. Chicago State would lose to Bowling Green, Indiana, Wagner, LIU, Fairleigh Dickinson, Stonehill, Le Moyne and New Haven in the next eight games, giving the team a 2-17 run over the first 19 outings of the year.
On Friday versus Saint Francis, Chicago State was in trouble by halftime, looking up at a 47-32 deficit. The Cougars were outscored 34-28 the rest of the way, so they didn’t end up getting any closer in an eventual blowout loss on the road 81-60. CJ Ray was the team’s leading scorer in the losing effort, posting 21 points and six boards. Doyel Cockrill added 13 points with five rebounds and one assist.
Mercyhurst Lakers Betting Preview
Over on the Lakers’ side, they haven’t fared great so far this year either. The Lakers managed a 4-8 run over their first 12 games, taking wins over only Loyola Chicago, Penn State-New Kensington, Morgan State and Bethany WV during that stretch. Mercyhurst went 4-3 over the next seven outings, taking losses to Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU and Stonehill for an 8-11 record in their first 19 games.
Matched up against New Haven on Friday, the Lakers took a one-point deficit into the second half with a 28-27 score. Mercyhurst managed a 34-29 advantage the rest of the way, eventually powering out a road victory 61-57 in the end. Qadir Martin was the team’s leading scorer with 16 points and four rebounds, while Bernie Blunt had 15 points with two assists in 20 minutes.
Chicago State Cougars @ Mercyhurst Lakers Betting Trends: January 25, 2026
Why the Mercyhurst Lakers will win
- Chicago State has lost each of its last 15 games against the Northeast Conference.
- Mercyhurst has won eight of its last nine day games at Owen McCormick Court at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Chicago State has lost the first half in 14 of its last 15 road games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the Chicago State Cougars will win
- Mercyhurst has lost three of its last four day games following a road win.
Chicago State vs Mercyhurst Prediction
I’ll lean toward Mercyhurst here I suppose. That said, there’s not much to get excited about if you’re not a fan of either team. The Lakers started pretty slowly in their win over New Haven this past week, but ended up shooting 49 percent from the field with just nine turnovers. Mercyhurst hit all of their free throws, but had just seven chances to New Haven’s 17 (making 12) tries. Still, the Lakers have won three of the last four, scoring 70 or more points in two of those three wins.
As for Chicago State, they were pretty ineffective in a road loss to St. Francis in their last outing. The Cougars shot just 35.8 percent from the field with 5-of-11 (45.5 percent) from the line and a 32-29 rebounding deficit. Chicago State hasn’t won a game since December 14, a string of nine outings.