The Sam Houston State Bearkats will try to cover the spread at Merrell Center on Wednesday when they get a visit from the Central Arkansas Bears in NCAA basketball action.

This game is part of the Southland Tournament which will decide the conference champion and help decide March Madness seedings. The game is being played at Merrell Center, which makes it technically a neutral site match.

Supporters of the Bears have watched them go 13-16 and 0-1 ATS on the year, while the Bearkats are at 15-16 and 2-3 ATS. In totals betting, the Bearkats are 1-0, while the Bears have a 1-0 mark.



View Central Arkansas vs Sam Houston State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors looking to side with Sam Houston State in this one found them as 3.5-point favorites earlier in the day. Watch for line moves and updates at Sportsbook before gametime.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 107-ranked Bearkats and the No. 197-rated Bears in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 73-68 win for the Bearkats on Wednesday.



How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and Bears is ranked No. 26 in NCAA hoops at 38.7 per game. Contrast that with Sam Houston State’s No. 37 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, Sam Houston State is the No. 127-ranked team in the country at 6.5 per game, while Central Arkansas rates No. 76 at 7.2 per game.

Defensively, Central Arkansas features the nation's No. 341-rated defense on the road, allowing 79.7 points per game. Sam Houston State, meanwhile, comes in at No. 285 nationally in scoring at home.

Central Arkansas was an 86-84 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against Oral Roberts. Central Arkansas got 34 points from Jarvis Garner en route to an 86-84 victory over Oral Roberts on Saturday at Farris Center.

Last time out for Sam Houston State, they were an 84-73 loser as they battled Northwestern State on the road. The Bearkats endured an 84-73 loss at the hands of the Demons on Saturday, despite a 16-point effort from James Thomas at Prather Coliseum.