The Sam Houston State Bearkats hope to be lousy hosts on Thursday as the Nicholls State Colonels pay a visit to Bernard Johnson Coliseum on the college basketball betting menu.

Sam Houston State will face the 7-18 Colonels, who own a 1-3 ATS mark on the season. In totals betting, the Bearkats are 1-0 favoring the UNDER so far this season while the Colonels are 1-2 favoring the OVER.



View Nicholls State vs Sam Houston State Odds and Stats.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Bearkats sit at No. 76 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Colonels sit at No. 332 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Bearkats will win this game 71-59.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Sam Houston State's No. 232 nationally ranked offense (65.4 points per game) against a Colonels defense that sits as the No. 322 at 74 PPG. The Bearkats have been averaging 38.1% from the field, less than the Colonels have managed so far this season (43.3% on average).

Defensively, Nicholls State features the nation's No. 299-rated defense on the road, allowing 75.1 points per game. Sam Houston State, meanwhile, comes in at No. 257 nationally in scoring at home.

Last time out for Nicholls State, they were a 76-58 loser as they battled Texas-San Antonio on the road. They failed to cover in the match as a 4-point underdog. Nicholls State suffered a 76-58 loss against Texas-San Antonio on Saturday, getting 14 points from JaMarkus Horace in a losing effort at UTSA Convocation Center.

Sam Houston State was an 81-76 loser in its last match on the road against Eastern Washington. They failed to cover the 2-point spread as underdogs. Paul Baxter scored 19 points in a futile effort to lead the Bearkats to a win (they lost 81-76 to Eastern Washington at Reese Court on Saturday).

Next up:
Nicholls State at Texas A&M C.C., Saturday, March 2
Sam Houston State home to Southeastern Louisiana, Saturday, March 2