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St. Francis (PA) Red Flash vs Chicago State Cougars Picks and Predictions – Thursday January 29, 2026
St. Francis (PA) heads to Chicago for a Northeast Conference game against Chicago State on Thursday night, with tip set for 7:00 PM ET at the Jones Convocation Center. Both teams are buried in the standings, but this is still a league game, and these are the spots where effort, pace, and late execution decide who cashes.
The market is basically calling it a coin flip. You’ve got a tight spread and a flat moneyline, which usually means one thing for bettors: don’t overthink the “better record” angle. Handicap the style. St. Francis (PA) wants possessions and shots. Chicago State needs the game to stay controlled and ugly enough to keep a one or two possession margin in play.
St. Francis (PA) Red Flash vs Chicago State Cougars Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should keep monitoring the college basketball odds for movement as tip approaches.
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Francis (PA) Red Flash | -110 | +1.5 (-125) | O 139.5 (-110) |
| Chicago State Cougars | -110 | -1.5 (+105) | U 139.5 (-110) |
St. Francis (PA) Red Flash Betting Form
St. Francis (PA) is 6-14 and the road record is rough at 1-8, but the matchup angle is straightforward: they push pace and create volume. They’re playing at a top-50 tempo by your numbers, and they get a ton of field-goal attempts up. That matters in a near pick’em because the team that generates more shots can win without being the cleaner offense.
They also have a very relevant reference point here. St. Francis (PA) just beat Chicago State 81-60, and it wasn’t a fluke box-score win. They controlled the flow, got production from multiple players, and turned pace into separation. If the Red Flash get to their preferred tempo again, they can make Chicago State defend for the full clock, rebound, and then do it again. Most teams don’t hold up to that for 40 minutes.
For recent results and splits, use the St. Francis (PA) Red Flash stats and results.
Chicago State Cougars Betting Form
Chicago State is 2-19, and there’s no way around it, they’ve struggled to close games. Even at home they haven’t found much traction, and that shows up in how they get priced. Still, a tight spread tells you the market thinks their best version can compete here, especially if they can drag St. Francis (PA) into lower-quality possessions.
The path for Chicago State is defense and control. They need to turn St. Francis (PA) into a half-court team, take care of the ball, and force the Red Flash to score over set defense instead of letting them play in early offense. If Chicago State can keep the turnover count down and make St. Francis (PA) earn every basket, the -1.5 becomes realistic because you’re not giving the road team extra shots and easy points.
For form and game logs, here are the Chicago State Cougars schedule and stats.
St. Francis (PA) Red Flash vs Chicago State Cougars Matchup Breakdown
This game is pace versus efficiency. St. Francis (PA) is comfortable playing fast and living with the variance because volume is the point. Chicago State has to resist that. If the Cougars allow a track meet, they’re betting they can match shot-for-shot, and that’s a tough bet given the recent 81-60 result.
The total at 139.5 is interesting because it sits in the middle of two narratives. St. Francis (PA) wants possessions, which pushes toward the over. But both teams have shaky shooting efficiency, and that’s where unders can cash even in faster games, especially if the misses are live and the defenses get set quickly.
From a side perspective, the spread is telling you to focus on one swing stat: turnovers. If St. Francis (PA) gets extra possessions through steals or loose-ball pressure, their pace becomes a weapon. If Chicago State protects the ball and forces St. Francis (PA) into half-court execution, the game compresses into a one-possession finish. If you’re tightening your process on how pace, shot volume, and turnover margin translate into spreads and totals, the expert betting guide is the right baseline.
St. Francis (PA) Red Flash vs Chicago State Cougars Predictions and Best Bets
I lean St. Francis (PA) +1.5. The number is tiny, and the matchup style points toward the team that can manufacture more possessions. St. Francis (PA) does that naturally with tempo and shot volume, and they already proved they can create separation against this opponent.
On the total, I lean under 139.5. Even if St. Francis (PA) pushes pace, both offenses have efficiency issues, and this line doesn’t require a true rock fight to stay under. If Chicago State succeeds in slowing the game even a little, the under looks even better. The biggest risk to the under is a parade to the line or a hot three-point night, but those are the less reliable inputs compared to consistent shooting struggles.
If I’m picking one wager, I want the points with the team whose style creates more chances to win the possession count.
Best Bet: St. Francis (PA) +1.5 (-125)
NCAAB Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
For the rest of the slate, start with the day’s college basketball picks and compare similar coin-flip spreads where pace is a major factor. Those are the matchups where a clean process matters more than brand names.
If you want more games in this exact format, the NCAAB previews hub is the fastest way to stay consistent, and the college basketball teams hub helps when you’re checking styles across conferences. For broader betting angles and market notes, the ScoresAndStats blog is worth scanning.
If you’re tracking performance instead of narratives, use the best handicappers and the leaderboard to see who’s actually producing. If you want packaged plays, you can also buy picks and align them with your card. And when you’re evaluating where to bet and what services are worth your time, the sportsbook reviews and handicappers sites reviews pages are solid filters.
