The Bearkats will play the Hilltoppers on Friday, January 2nd, 2026. Your timezone's tip off time is 5:00 pm EST. Check local listings or your nearest streaming app for coverage.
Review our College Basketball Betting guide to learn how to bet this game.
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Table of Contents
- Matchup Stats
- Moneyline Mage
- Best Odds
- Interactive Odds Example
- Prop Bets
- Team Standings
- Futures Odds
- Team Pages
- Other Games Today
Key Matchup Stats
Looking into the second half of the 2025-26 college basketball season, Sam Houston State and Western Kentucky are set to hit the hardwood on Friday, January 2nd, 2026. Luckily, we have some clear performance trends emerging now that each team has more than a dozen games under their belts. Use the following data to help analyze this matchup and to place an intelligent wager on its ultimate outcome.
- SportsBetting3.com Power Rankings - With the 2025-26 season in full stride, Sam Houston State currently has a 98.33 conference power ranking, while the SportsBetting3.com conference power ranking for Western Kentucky is 97.33.
- Away Sam Houston State - Sam Houston State starts this game with a 2-4 record as an away team, ranking them 1st in the C-USA Conference for away team wins.
- Home Western Kentucky - Western Kentucky meets Sam Houston State boasting a 5-1 record as a home team. They currently rank 4th in the C-USA Conference for home team wins.
- Conference Win Percentage - Sam Houston State currently ranks 2nd (0.000) in the C-USA Conference, with Western Kentucky now standing 2nd (0.000) for their conference win percentage in the 2025 C-USA Conference for the 2025-26 college basketball season.
- Overall Win Percentage - Sam Houston State has a 0.667 overall win percentage, with Western Kentucky matching up with a 0.583 overall win percentage.
- Team Records - Sam Houston State currently possesses 8-4 regular season overall record. Meanwhile, Western Kentucky has tallied a 7-5 standing as the 2025-26 college basketball season continues to unfold.
Moneyline Mage
Spelling out the winners with humor since the middle ages.
Hocus pocus, Sam Houston State takes on Western Kentucky on January 2nd, 2026.
Both teams have 0-1 conference standings, fighting for higher tournament seeds. Sam Houston State has a winning streak, while Western Kentucky has lost two games. Review the tables below to find the best point spread, total, and moneylines for this game. You can bet on college basketball legally at BetRivers and BetMGM. We've also listed each team's futures odds and current standings below.
Best Bearkats at Hilltoppers Odds
| Underdog Sam Houston State | Favorite Western Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Over | Under |
|---|---|
| Underdog Sam Houston State | Favorite Western Kentucky |
|---|---|
Matchup Odds FAQs
Western Kentucky is a -4.5 -105 point spread favorite at BetMGM, while Sam Houston State is a +4.5 -115 point spread underdog at BetMGM.
The best over line is 166.5 -105 points at BetMGM, which means you risk $105 to win $100 betting the over. The best under line is 166.5 -115 points at BetMGM, and that means you risk $115 to win $100 betting the under.
Western Kentucky is a -185 moneyline favorite at BetMGM and Sam Houston State is a +150 moneyline underdog at BetMGM.
College Basketball Odds Example
|
Game |
 BetMGMBet |
|---|---|
Sam Houston State
Western Kentucky
1/02/26 5:00pm EST | +4.5 -115-4.5 -105 |
Underdog Sam Houston State - Sam Houston State bettors risk $100 to win $86.96 at -115 odds.
A +4.5 Sam Houston State underdog bet wins if they lose by 4 or fewer, tie, or win outright. Your bet loses if they lose by 5 or more.
Favorite Western Kentucky - Western Kentucky bettors risk $100 to win $95.24 at -105 odds.
A -4.5 Western Kentucky favorite bet wins if they win by 5 or more. Your bet loses if they win by 4 or fewer, tie, or lose outright.
Sam Houston State at Western Kentucky Prop Bets
Important Note: Some states expressly forbid individual college athlete prop bets. The following wagers may not be available depending on your particular state laws.
| BetMGM Bet |
|
|---|---|
Sam Houston State
Western Kentucky
1/02/26 5:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
Team Standings
| Team | W-L | Win% | Home | Away | Conf | CGB | Conf% | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston State | 16-8 | 0.667 | 9-1 | 5-7 | 8-5 | +5 | 0.615 | L1 |
| Western Kentucky | 13-11 | 0.542 | 9-4 | 3-5 | 6-7 | +7 | 0.462 | W1 |
Sam Houston State & Western Kentucky Futures Odds
Latest College Basketball Championship odds, if available, for each team. Review March Madness odds for other teams and learn how to bet on the college basketball tournament. Also be sure to read Ron Halfback's Final Four write-up.
Sam Houston State Championship OddsNo NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament TM Sam Houston State YR: futures available
Western Kentucky Championship OddsNo NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament TM Western Kentucky YR: futures available
Sam Houston State & Western Kentucky Team Pages
Review each team's futures odds, betting bonuses, current standings and other valuable information on our exclusive team betting odds pages. Team betting odds and stats update throughout the season:
How to Bet on the Game
Time needed: 4 minutes.
How to Bet on the Sam Houston State vs Western Kentucky College Basketball Game
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Open a new sports betting account before game time.
Review our list of sports betting sites. Open a new account before the game starts on Friday, January 2nd, 2026 at 5:00 pm EST, making sure to enter all your personal details correctly. Don't forget to add your bonus code.
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Visit the sportsbook’s cashier, banking, or deposit page.
Navigate to the sportsbook's deposit page. Use your Visa card or MasterCard, or deposit with a bank transfer, or other methods like Paypal.
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Tap to the sportsbook's College Basketball page, look for the Sam Houston State vs Western Kentucky Game.
Navigate to the sportsbook's College Basketball page. Next, look for live or upcoming matchups. Select the Sam Houston State vs Western Kentucky Game.
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Choose your bet and place a wager.
Choose your bet and then use the funds you deposited to place a wager. The sportsbook will pay your winnings or deduct a losing wager from your account balance after the game.
Other January 2, 2026 NCAABB Games
- New Mexico State vs FIU
- Mount St. Mary's vs Merrimack
- Fairfield vs Canisius
- Sacred Heart vs Niagara
- Le Moyne vs St. Francis (PA)
- New Haven vs Stonehill
- Marist vs Saint Peter's
- Lamar vs McNeese State
- Wagner vs Chicago State
- USC vs Michigan
- Siena vs Iona
- Robert Morris vs Detroit Mercy
- Quinnipiac vs Manhattan
- Kennesaw State vs Liberty
- Jacksonville State vs Delaware
- Central Connecticut vs LIU
- Louisiana Tech vs Middle Tennessee
- Oregon vs Maryland
- Fairleigh Dickinson vs Mercyhurst
- Louisville vs Stanford
- Ohio State vs Rutgers
- UTEP vs Missouri State
- Seattle vs Gonzaga
- Michigan State vs Nebraska
- West Virginia vs Iowa State
- Loyola Marymount vs Washington State
- Oregon State vs Pacific
- San Diego vs San Francisco
- Portland vs Saint Mary's (CA)
- Pepperdine vs Santa Clara
- Notre Dame vs California