UT Rio Grande Valley vs Northwestern State Prediction 1/12/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Northwestern State Demons and the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros will meet on Monday in a Southland Conference matchup at Prather Coliseum in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Northwestern Demons Betting Preview

The Northwestern State Demons enter Monday night’s matchup with UT Rio Grande Valley with a 5–11 record, including a 4–3 mark at home and a 3–4 record in conference play. The Demons have compiled wins over Southern–New Orleans, Southeastern Louisiana and Ecclesia College, while dropping games to California, McNeese, Southern and the Texas A&M Aggies. Last month, in the Northwestern State Demons convincing 108–55 victory over Southern–New Orleans, Northwestern State guard Micah Thomas amassed 20 points (6 of 11 shooting from the field), 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals illustrating his ability to lead the Demons backcourt.

The Northwestern State Demons are averaging 68.8 points on 43.7 percent shooting from the field and 35.2 percent shooting from three-point range per game. Defensively, the Demons are allowing opponents 79.9 points per game which ranks a dreadful 285th in the country.

Senior guard Micah Thomas leads the Northwestern State Demons averaging 16.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1 steal per game. Sophomore guard Justin Redmond provides the Demons with further backcourt depth averaging 8.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1 steal per contest, while junior guard Izzy Miles is averaging 10.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.5 steals per game. 

UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros Betting Preview

The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros enter Monday’s contest with a 6–10 overall record, including a 2–5 mark in conference play and a 2-6 record on the road. The Vaqueros have amassed wins over Austin Peay, Lamar, and the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, while losing games to Baylor, Boise State, Illinois and Missouri State. More recently, in the Eastern Texas A&M Commerce Lions 77-69 victory over UT Rio Grande Valley two days ago, UT Rio Grande Valley guard Jaylen Warren tallied 10 points (5 of 10 shooting from the field), 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. 

UT Rio Grande Valley averages 70.2 points on 44.2 percent shooting from the field and 35.9 percent shooting from behind the arc per game. Shifting to the defensive side of the basketball, the Vaqueros are allowing opponents 73.6 points per contest.

Junior guard Koree Cotton leads the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros averaging 12.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. Junior forward Filip Brankovic provides the Vaqueros with an interior presence averaging 12.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.5 blocks per contest.

Why the Northwestern State Demons Will Win

•             Quality guard play. Senior guard Micah Thomas leads the Demons with 16.9 points on 44.8 percent shooting from the field per game.

•             Balanced scoring. Micah Thomas, Justin Redmond and Izzy Miles combine for 35 points per contest.

•             Home court edge. The Northwestern Demons are 4-3 at home this season.

Why the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros Will Win

•             Offensive advantage. UT Rio Grande Valley averages 70.2 points on 44.2 percent shooting from the field per game. Conversely, 4he Northwestern State Demons are averaging 68.8 points on 43.7 percent shooting from the field per contest.

•             Defensive edge. The Vaqueros are allowing opponents 73.6 points per contest. The Demons are allowing 79.9 points per game.

Northwestern State vs. UT Rio Grande Valley

This matchup features two teams that like a fast overall game pace. Additionally, both teams hold clear advantages on offense rather than the defensive end of the floor. The Northwestern State Demons defense has been below vulnerable to quality offense teams all season. With that in mind, the total offers the cleaner angle here rather than a side. For the reasons just noted, I am backing over 145.5 points in this matchup.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Over 145.5