| MATCHUP | Sam Houston State Bearkats | Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 8-6 | 9-5 |
| Where | Murphy Center, Murfreesboro, TN | |
| When | Sunday, January 4, 2026 | |
| Time | 02:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
The Sam Houston State Bearkats and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders meet Sunday in college basketball action from Murphy Center in Murfreesboro. Here’s a Sam Houston vs Middle Tennessee prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Sam Houston vs Middle Tennessee 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.
Sam Houston Bearkats Betting Preview
The Bearkats opened the season on a 5-2 stretch. The wins in that time were over LeTourneau, Wyoming, Schreiner, Idaho State and Idaho. A 3-2 run came next with losses to Oklahoma State and New Mexico State mixed with wins over Texas Southern, Oregon State and College of Biblical Studies. Through the first 12 games Sam Houston had an 8-4 overall record.
On Friday versus Western Kentucky, Sam Houston had a 49-42 lead going into the second half. The Bearkats were outscored 60-42 the rest of the way however, leading to a 102-91 defeat. Isaiah Manning topped the team on 23 points with four rebounds and Po’Boigh King had 21 points with six boards. Veljko Ilic put up 16 points with 12 rebounds in a double-double as well.
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Betting Preview
Over on the MTSU side, they were able to win four of their first five games with a lone loss to Michigan. The Raiders would lose three of the next four to George Washington, McNeese and Belmont before wins versus Kennesaw State and Cumberland TN. After another loss to Houston the Blue Raiders had a 7-5 record in their first 12 appearances of the season.
Matched up against LA Tech on Friday, the Raiders held a comfortable 39-22 edge at halftime. Middle Tennessee rolled on a 49-29 run the rest of the way and took the win in the end 88-51. Leading the scoring was Alec Oglesby with 25 points. Tre Green was also up there on 22 points, and Kamari Lands had 11 points with five rebounds in the winning effort for MTSU.
Sam Houston State Bearkats @ Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Betting Trends: January 4, 2026
Why the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders will win
- Sam Houston State has lost each of its last seven road day games against the Conference USA.
- Middle Tennessee has won each of its last six home day games against the Conference USA.
- Sam Houston State has lost the first half in four of its last five road day games against the Conference USA.
Why the Sam Houston State Bearkats will win
- Middle Tennessee has lost three of its last four day games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Middle Tennessee has lost the first half in three of its last four day games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Sam Houston vs Middle Tennessee Prediction
I’ll stick with the Raiders. Middle Tennessee is coming off a nice win over a decent LA Tech team, shooting a smooth 55.2 percent from the field and 50 percent (22-of-44) from outside. The Blue Raiders had just seven turnovers as well, but struggled from the line on 2-of-8 (25 percent) there. Middle Tennessee is 3-1 over their last four games (with only a single 69-60 blemish loss to Houston in there), and they’ve scored a combined 162 points in their last two victories.
As for the Bearkats, they had a bad second half in the Western Kentucky game. Sam Houston ended up shooting a solid 46.6 percent from the field and had a 38-36 advantage in the paint, but WKU’s free throws (20-of-27) and 3-pointers (14-of-35) proved to be the difference in the game. The good news is that the Bearkats are scoring well this year with 77 or more points in every game so far.