North Alabama vs Florida Gulf Coast Prediction 1/29/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The North Alabama Lions and the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles meet Thursday in college basketball action from Alico Arena. Here’s a North Alabama vs Florida Gulf Coast prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best North Alabama vs Florida Gulf Coast 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.

North Alabama Lions Betting Preview

The Lions were able to keep their heads above the .500 mark (barely) over their first nine games, turning in a 5-4 overall record. It’s been a rough run since then however. North Alabama has losses to Alabama A&M, LMU, Stetson, Florida Gulf Coast, Eastern Kentucky, North Florida, Jacksonville and Queens U in the last nine games. That gives the team a 6-12 run through 18 games so far.

In the matchup versus Queens U last Wednesday, the Lions were sitting in the locker room with a 42-33 deficit. North Alabama didn’t end up getting any closer than that on a 45-29 second-half run and lost in blowout fashion on the road 87-62 in the end. Kevin de Kovachich was the leading team scorer on 15 points and two boards while Corneilous Williams had 12 points and five rebounds.

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles Betting Preview

Over on the Eagles’ side, they posted a 5-2 run over their first seven games with losses to only Illinois and Georgia Southern. Florida Gulf Coast would hit a five-game losing streak after that, then beat Fort Lauderdale and North Alabama in the next trio. It’s been a 1-5 run since then with losses to Austin Peay (twice), Lipscomb (twice) and Queens U. FGCU is sitting at 8-13 over the first 21 games this year.

In the rematch with Lipscomb on the road last Friday, the Eagles went into the second half with a seven-point deficit 37-30. Florida Gulf Coast was outscored 49-41 the rest of the way, leading to an 86-71 loss in the end. Isaiah Malone led the team on 23 points with six rebounds and Rory Stewart had 15 points with five rebounds for the Eagles in the losing effort.

North Alabama Lions @ Florida Gulf Coast Eagles Betting Trends: January 29, 2026

Why the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles will win

• North Alabama has lost eight of its last nine games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Florida Gulf Coast has won five of its last six home games against North Alabama at Alico Arena.
• Florida Gulf Coast has won the first half in three of its last four home games against North Alabama.

Why the North Alabama Lions will win

• Florida Gulf Coast has lost each of its last four night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• The road team has won three of North Alabama’s last four games.

North Alabama vs Florida Gulf Coast Prediction

I’ll stick with FGCU but I’m not touching this one. The Eagles are coming off another loss to Lipscomb in a road matchup, shooting a spotty 65 percent (13-of-20) from outside along with a 28-23 rebounding edge. Florida Gulf Coast did well in the paint (a 28-12 advantage) and had just nine turnovers, though. Still, that makes five losses in the last six games with 82 or more points allowed in all five of those defeats.

These teams last met up on January 3 in a road win 72-55 for the Eagles. Florida Gulf Coast shot 46.7 percent from the field in that one with a 39-23 rebounding advantage and 28 points in the paint. The Eagles gave up just 30.8 percent shooting on the other side but did have 13 turnovers along the way. This home rematch is a great opportunity for FGCU to get back on track with a win.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Florida Gulf Coast Eagles TBA