The Abilene Christian Wildcats take on the Tarleton State Texans. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN+.
Tarleton State is favored by 4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -210. The total is set at 145 points.
Here’s my Abilene Christian vs. Tarleton State prediction and college basketball picks for January 26, 2026.
Abilene Christian vs Tarleton State Prediction
My Pick: Tarleton -4.5 or Better
My Abilene Christian vs Tarleton State best bet is on Tarleton -4.5 or Better. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Abilene Christian vs. Tarleton State Odds
| Ab Christian Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -110 | 144 -110o / -110u | +175 |
| Tarleton St Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -110 | 144 -110o / -110u | -210 |
Ab Christian vs Tarleton St College Basketball Betting Preview
I project the Texans as 7.9-point favorites for this matchup, and I’d play them at -4.5 or better.
This line is sitting closer to four because of Tarleton's personnel, both on the court and on the bench.
Head coach Billy Gillespie has been sidelined with an illness over the past three games. Superstar scoring guard Dior Johnson has played just 40 minutes over the past two games. Forward Freddy Hicks is still MIA.
Still, if good news comes in on Gillespie, Johnson, and Hicks, this line should jump considerably.
The situational spot seems good, as the Texans need a win after four straight losses, and there’s some revenge to factor in after the Wildcats beat Tarleton in Stephenville to start this four-game losing streak.
These are two defenses that love to press and hassle ball-handlers into turnovers. However, Tarleton is typically the better press offense and ball-handling squad, and the Texans are also typically better in both transition offense and defense, which is huge if we expect another 30-turnover game between these two.
Tarleton won the steal battle (12 to 5) and paint points (46 to 32) battles in the first meeting, as the Wildcats needed a 7-for-17 3-point shooting night to pull out the four-point win.
If the shooting luck flips, I suspect the Texans pull out a big home win. Although I hope there’s some better news on the personnel front, especially after Johnson scored 33 points on 19 shots in the first meeting (15-for-15 from the free-throw line).
My Pick: Tarleton -4.5 or Better
