| MATCHUP | SIU-Edwardsville Cougars | Tennessee State Tigers |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 17-11 | 18-9 |
| Where | Gentry Center, Nashville, TN | |
| When | Saturday, February 21, 2026 | |
| Time | 02:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPNU | |
The SIU Edwardsville Cougars and the Tennessee State Tigers meet Saturday in college basketball action from Gentry Complex in Nashville. Here’s an SIU Edwardsville vs Tennessee State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best SIU Edwardsville vs Tennessee State 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.
SIU Edwardsville Cougars Betting Preview
This year the Cougars started out on a choppy run, going a tepid 10-8 over their first 18 games. SIU Edwardsville hit a nice 7-1 run in the next eight though, taking out Southeast Missouri State, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Southern Indiana, Lindenwood, Little Rock and Southeast Missouri State again. After a loss to TN-Martin the Cougars had a 17-10 record in 27 games.
In game 28 versus Tennessee Tech on Thursday the Cougars went into the break with a slim two-point lead 28-26. SIU Edwardsville put up a 36-24 deficit the rest of the way and ended up losing 62-52 in the end on the road. Darrion Baker was tops on 13 points with three rebounds while Kyle Thomas had 10 points with nine boards, two steals and a pair of blocks in the loss.
Tennessee State Tigers Betting Preview
Over on the Tennessee State side, they were able to win 10 of their first 16 games this year. The Tigers would hit a 4-2 run after that, beating Morehead State, Southern Indiana, Lindenwood and Little Rock in that time. After wins over Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois and Southern Indiana came a loss to Morehead State, giving the Cougars a 17-9 record in their first 26 outings.
In the Lindenwood matchup back on Thursday, Tennessee State went into the locker room all tied up at 42-42. The Tigers hit their stride in the second half on a 47-38 run and powered out the victory on their home court 89-80. Dante Harris led the team with 21 points and eight rebounds. Both Travis Harper (three steals) and Carlous Williams (five rebounds) had 17 points apiece.
SIU Edwardsville Cougars @ Tennessee State Tigers Betting Trends: February 21, 2026
Why the Tennessee State Tigers will win
- Tennessee State has won 16 of its last 18 games at Gentry Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- SIU Edwardsville has lost 28 of its last 35 road day games against the Ohio Valley Conference.
- SIU Edwardsville has lost the first half in each of its last five games at Gentry Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the SIU Edwardsville Cougars will win
- SIU Edwardsville has won each of its last four road day games against Conference opponents.
SIU Edwardsville vs Tennessee State Prediction
I’ll lean toward Tennessee State but this one’s a coin flip. The Tigers took a little while to get going against Lindenwood this week but eventually powered out the win. Tennessee State shot 43.7 percent from the field in that one with a 37-34 rebounding edge. The Tigers gave up 48.3 percent shooting on the other side, but did benefit from 19 Lions turnovers. Tennessee State is 4-1 in their last five games now, with 73 or more points in all of those outings.
Back on January 22 when these teams last met up, the Tigers took a pretty listless road loss 74-66. In that one Tennessee State shot just 32.8 percent from the field while giving up a whopping 52.1 percent on defense and hitting just 18.2 percent (4-of-22) from 3-point range. Otherwise the Tigers were pretty competitive and had just six turnovers. Still, that shooting percentage needs to come way up in the home rematch.