Middle Tennessee vs Sam Houston State Prediction 2/18/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and the Sam Houston Bearkats meet Wednesday in college basketball action from Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville. Here’s a Middle Tennessee vs Sam Houston prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Middle Tennessee vs Sam Houston 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.

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Betting Preview

Middle Tennessee managed a 9-5 record over their first 14 games of the season. The Raiders would go 2-2 in the next pair with wins over New Mexico State and Missouri State, then lost to Jacksonville State, Liberty, Western Kentucky, Florida International and Delaware. After a win over Kennesaw State and a loss to Western Kentucky the Raiders are sitting at 12-13 overall this year.

In the Western Kentucky matchup over the weekend the Raiders were heading into the second half with a 42-37 deficit. Middle Tennessee got better from there on a 43-40 advantage but still took the loss on the road 82-80 in the end. Tops in scoring during the losing effort was Kamari Lands with 20 points and five rebounds with three assists. Sean Smith added 19 points with seven assists and five boards.

Sam Houston Bearkats Betting Preview

Over on the Sam Houston side, they kicked off the season with a 7-3 run then lost four of the next six games versus New Mexico State, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee and Liberty. Wins over Jacksonville State, FIU, Kennesaw State, Western Kentucky, Missouri State, LA Tech, UTEP and Kennesaw State have come since then, giving the team a 17-8 record so far.

Matched up against Kennesaw State over the weekend the Bearkats were sitting in the locker room after the first half with a 45-42 advantage. Sam Houston posted a 38-37 run the rest of the way and ended up winning 83-79 in the end. Tops in scoring was Damon Nicholas with 21 points and four boards while Po’Boigh King added 20 points with a pair of rebounds in the win.

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders @ Sam Houston State Bearkats Betting Trends: February 18, 2026

Why the Sam Houston State Bearkats will win

• Sam Houston State has won each of its last eight night games at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Middle Tennessee has lost six of its last seven games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Middle Tennessee has lost the first half in each of its last five night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Middle Tennessee vs Sam Houston Prediction

I’ll lean toward Sam Houston. The Bearkats did a pretty good job against Kennesaw State last weekend, posting 54.9 percent shooting and a 26-24 rebounding advantage during the victory. Sam Houston did give up 47.5 percent shooting from the field on defense, though. The Bearkats are a nice 8-1 in their last nine outings. They’ve scored 70 or more points in all of those games as well.

These teams last met up back on January 4 in a tough 68-67 road loss for the Bearkats. Sam Houston shot well in that one (48.2 percent) and had a 38-28 rebounding edge. The major disparity however, was Sam Houston’s 16 turnovers. If the Bearkats can clean up their mistakes in this home rematch I like them to get some revenge.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Sam Houston State Bearkats -5.5