Tarleton vs Southern Utah Prediction 1/15/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Tarleton State Texans and the Southern Utah Thunderbirds meet Thursday in college basketball action from Centrum Arena Utah in Cedar City. Here’s a Tarleton State vs Southern Utah prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Tarleton State vs Southern Utah 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.

Tarleton State Texans Betting Preview

The Texans had a rocky 2-3 start but quickly found their footing on an 8-1 run during the next nine outings. Those wins came versus Angelo State, Rice, Midwestern State, Howard Payne, Cameron, Mississippi Valley State, Florida A&M and Texas-Arlington. It’s been a 1-2 run since then however, with losses to Utah Valley and Abilene Christian. That gives the Texans an 11-6 record through 17 games this year.

In last Thursday’s matchup versus Abilene Christian, Tarleton State was down 46-38 by the end of the first half. The Texans mounted a second-half comeback on a 42-38 run but it wasn’t enough in an 84-80 home loss. Dior Johnson led the team with 33 points and three rebounds, while Kade Douglas added 13 points with four rebounds. Cam McDowell put up 10 points with three rebounds in 21 minutes of work.

Southern Utah Thunderbirds Betting Preview

Over on the Southern Utah side, they opened the season on a shaky 4-6 run with losses to Arizona State, UTRGV, Omaha, Gonzaga, Washington State and Robert Morris. It’s been losses to Oregon State, Washington, Northern Arizona, Utah Tech, Texas-Arlington, Utah Valley and Cal Baptist since then. That gives the Thunderbirds a 4-13 overall stretch in their 17 games this season so far.

Matched up against Cal Baptist last weekend the Thunderbirds held a two-point deficit in the locker room. Southern Utah was outscored 34-33 the rest of the way however, leading to a 58-55 loss in the end. The only player on the team to reach double-figures in scoring was Jaiden Feroah with 16 points and six rebounds. Tanner Hayhurst chipped in nine points and five boards as well.

Tarleton State Texans @ Southern Utah Thunderbirds Betting Trends: January 15, 2026

Why the Southern Utah Thunderbirds will win

• Tarleton State has lost five of its last six night games against the Western Athletic Conference.
• Southern Utah has won three of its last four home games.
• Tarleton State has lost the first half in three of its last four night games against the Western Athletic Conference.

Why the Tarleton State Texans will win

• Southern Utah has lost each of its last seven games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Tarleton State has won each of its last three night games against Southern Utah.
• Tarleton State has won the first half in each of its last three games against Southern Utah.

Tarleton State vs Southern Utah Prediction

I’ll stick with Tarleton State. The Texans are coming off a tough home loss to a pretty good Abilene Christian team, giving up 55.8 percent shooting from the field with 14 turnovers and a 30-24 rebounding deficit. Tarleton State shot 46.4 percent from the field and 27-of-29 (93.1 percent) from the line but hit just one of their six tries from 3-point range (16.7 percent). The Texans have lost two of the last three games but they’re still scoring well with 80 or more points in all three of those.

As for Southern Utah, they shot just 35.1 percent from the field with a 40-36 rebounding deficit and 11 turnovers in their latest loss to Cal Baptist. The Thunderbirds were good on defense though, holding the Lancers to just 30.9 percent shooting. Southern Utah has lost seven games in a row now, but they’ve scored 69 or more points in four of those.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Tarleton State Texans -6.5