Ohio vs South Alabama Prediction 11/2/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

Ohio vs South Alabama Prediction

I’ll take a stab on Ohio here. The Bobcats have a pretty unique roster heading into the 2026-27 campaign. They’ll be spearheaded by fifth-year senior Javan Simmons after 15.1 PPG and 5.7 RPG last season, which earned him an honorable mention All-MAC pick. Redshirt sophomores Kiir Kuany and Jesse Burris are the only other two returnees who played last year, so it’s going to be a new-look team on the floor for Ohio.

As for South Alabama, they keep chugging along with decent seasons despite having the lowest NIL budget in the Sun Belt Conference. The Jags could be in line for another solid campaign, and they could even have the goods for a potential NCAA Tournament berth. This will be a good barometer for how the team may perform this season.

Game Info, Stats and Previews

The Ohio Bobcats and the South Alabama Jaguars meet Monday in college basketball action from Mitchell Center in Mobile. Here’s an Ohio vs South Alabama prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Ohio vs South Alabama 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.

Ohio Bobcats Betting Preview

The Bobcats didn’t manage to make it to .500 overall last year, finishing at 15-17 on the season. Ohio went 9-9 in Mid-American Conference games though, which put the team behind Miami-OH, Akron, Kent State, Toledo and Bowling Green in the standings. The Bobcats lost their final three regular-season games then fell to Kent State in the MAC Tournament.

This year Ohio will try to take a step forward in head coach Jeff Boals’ eighth year on the sideline. The team has an old (or perhaps experienced) roster this season, and they’ve got players from every corner of the globe in the fold. All the newcomers will join two Division I transfers, one freshman and four returnees from last season’s squad.

South Alabama Jaguars Betting Preview

Over on the South Alabama side, they finished significantly better in the win column last season, going 21-12 overall. The Jaguars posted a middling 11-7 in the Sun Belt games though, leaving the team in sixth place among the standings. South Alabama lost in the first game of the conference tourney to Georgia Southern and the first game of the NIT to Auburn.

Moving ahead to 2026-27, the Jaguars will have to replace all five starters in head coach Richie Riley’s ninth year in the position. South Alabama does have four players from last year’s squad returning though, including key man Peyton Law and his 12.8 PPG. Stephen Williams is back as well after playing in all 33 games and averaging 6.3 PPG overall.

Ohio Bobcats @ South Alabama Jaguars Betting Trends: November 2, 2026

Why the South Alabama Jaguars will win

• Ohio has lost each of its last four games.
• South Alabama has won 25 of its last 30 night games against non-Conference opponents at Mitchell Center.
• Ohio has lost the first half in three of its last four night games against the Sun Belt Conference.

Why the Ohio Bobcats will win

• South Alabama has lost five of its last six night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Total Points Facts

• Twenty-one of South Alabama’s last 22 games against non-Conference opponents have produced a total of 153 or fewer points.
• Four of Ohio’s last five night games have produced a total of 161+ points.

Matchup/League Facts

• South Alabama ranked 5th among Division 1 teams for opponent free throw attempts per game last season (14.6).
• South Alabama ranked 357th among Division 1 teams for free throw percentage last season (65.8%).

Andrew Jett's Pick: Ohio Bobcats +1.5