Little Rock vs SIU-Edwardsville Prediction 1/8/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Little Rock Trojans and the SIU Edwardsville Cougars meet Thursday in college basketball action from Vadalabene Center. Here’s a Little Rock vs SIU Edwardsville prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Little Rock vs SIU Edwardsville 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.

Little Rock Trojans Betting Preview

The Trojans limped out of the gate this year, winning just two of their first 11 games. Those two victories came versus Arkansas Baptist and Ball State in the first four outings. After wins over Southern Indiana, Williams Baptist and Tennessee Tech, Little Rock would fall again to Tennessee State. That gives the Trojans a 5-10 overall record across their first 15 games of the season.

In the Tennessee State game over the weekend, the Trojans were looking at a manageable one-point deficit by halftime. Little Rock didn’t get any closer than that however, getting outscored from there 51-47 during an 84-79 loss. Johnathan Lawson was the team’s leading scorer in the defeat with 20 points, while Kachi Nzeh added 16 points with eight rebounds in 28 minutes of work.

SIU Edwardsville Cougars Betting Preview

Over on the SIU Edwardsville side, they were able to win six of their first nine outings, falling to only Indiana State, Wisconsin and Air Force. The next six games were a 3-3 run with wins over Eureka, Western Illinois and Southern Indiana among losses to Western Michigan, Eastern Illinois and Morehead State. Through 15 games the Cougars were able to post a 9-6 overall record.

Matched up against Lindenwood on Tuesday the Cougars were hanging on by a 35-34 edge at the break. SIU Edwardsville posted a 31-28 run in the second half though, eventually powering out a win 66-62. Darrion Baker led the way on 20 points with nine boards and Kyle Thomas had 13 points with five rebounds. Tyler King added 12 points in the winning effort for the Cougars as well.

Little Rock Trojans @ SIU Edwardsville Cougars Betting Trends: January 8, 2026

Why the SIU Edwardsville Cougars will win

• Little Rock has lost six of its last seven road games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• SIU Edwardsville has won 16 of its last 20 games against Conference opponents at First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center.
• SIU Edwardsville has won the first half in each of its last four home games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the Little Rock Trojans will win

• Little Rock has won three of its last four games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Little Rock vs SIU Edwardsville Prediction

I’ll stick with SIU Edwardsville. The Cougars dispatched a decent Lindenwood team at home in their last outing, shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 40 percent (6-of-15) from outside. SIU Edwardsville had a 36-28 deficit on points in the paint however, and committed 14 turnovers along the way. Still, that makes three wins in the last four games for the Cougars. Thing is, SIU Edwardsville hasn’t scored more than 66 points in any of those wins; they’ve been getting the job done with defense. 

As for Little Rock, they couldn’t quite keep pace with a pretty decent Tennessee State team in their last outing. The Trojans shot 44.1 percent from the field and 21-of-29 (72.4 percent) from the line while staying pretty competitive on the boards. That said, Little Rock also got outscored 50-34 in the paint and had 14 turnovers. The Trojans are still 3-1 in the last four games though, posting 77 or more points in each of those outings.

Andrew Jett's Pick: SIU Edwardsville Cougars -3.5