West Georgia vs North Florida Prediction 1/8/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The North Florida Ospreys and the West Georgia Wolves will meet on Thursday night in an ASUN matchup in Jacksonville, Florida

West Georgia Wolves Betting Preview

The West Georgia Wolves enter Thursday evening’s contest with an 8–6 win‑loss record, including a 2–0 mark in ASUN play and a 2-4 record on the road. The Wolves have amassed wins over Tennessee Tech, Troy, Citadel and the South Carolina Upstate Spartans, while losing games to Nebraska, UCLA and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. More recently, in the West Georgia Wolves 88-76 win over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, West Georgia es are coming off an 88–76 win over Eastern Kentucky, West Georgia forward Shelton Williams‑Dryden exploded for 32 points, continuing his strong season as the Wolves primary offensive option.

The West Georgia Wolves are allowing 75 points on 41.9 percent shooting from the field and 34.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game. Defensively, the Wolves are allowing opponents 83.1 points per game which ranks an abysmal 327th in the nation.

Senior forward Shelton Williams‑Dryden leads the West Georgia Wolves with 19.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game, while junior guard Josh Smith averages 15.9 points, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals per contest, providing the Wolves playmaking from the backcourt.

North Florida Ospreys Betting Preview

The North Florida Ospreys enter Thursday’s contest with a 2–13 overall win-loss record, including an 0–2 record in conference play and a 2-2 home mark. The Ospreys have compiled wins over New College of Florida and Trinity Baptist, while dropping games to Florida, Tennessee, Wofford, Southern Miss, Prairie View A&M, SIU‑Edwardsville, Gonzaga and the Dayton Flyers. Earlier this season, in the North Florida Ospreys 111-67 convincing victory over the Trinity Baptist Eagles, North Florida forward Dalton Gayman tallied 17 points (5 of 8 shooting field), 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal illustrating his ability to lead the Ospreys frontcourt.

The North Florida Ospreys average 73.2 points on 41.8% shooting from the field and 34.5% from three‑point range per game. The Ospreys are allowing opponents 94.1 points per game which ranks a dreadful 365th in the country.

Senior guard Kamrin Oriol has been a standout performer for the North Florida Ospreys in 2025, averaging 18.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Sophomore guard Kent Jackson is averaging 12.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. Freshman forward Trey Cady is averaging 9.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.

Why the North Florida Ospreys Will Win

•             Quality guard play. Senior guard Kamrin Oriol has been a standout performer for the North Florida Ospreys in 2025, averaging 18.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 0.9 steals per game.

•             Motivation. The North Florida Ospreys arrive at tomorrow night’s game on the heels of an eight-game losing streak.

•            Home court edge. The North Florida Ospreys are 2–2 at home this season.

Why the West Georgia Wolves Will Win

•            Elite frontcourt production. Williams‑Dryden is coming off a 32‑point performance and leads the Wolves in both scoring and rebounding.

•            Perimeter matchup edge. West Georgia’s 7.7 made threes per game aligns well with North Florida’s defensive weakness against the arc.

•            Momentum. The Wolves are 2–0 in ASUN play.

West Georgia vs. North Florida Prediction

This matchup features a North Florida Ospreys team that has struggled on the defensive side of the basketball all season versus a West Georgia Wolves team that has played far better which is illustrated by the Wolves superior win-loss record. With that said, the Wolves have also struggled when it comes defending the basketball in 2025. Quite simply, I think the Wolves are just the superior basketball team at this point of the regular season. For the reasons just noted, I am backing the West Georgia Wolves to win tomorrow’s game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: West Georgia TBA