Northern Iowa Panthers vs Belmont Bruins Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/12/2026

Game Time: 9:00 pm ET, Thursday, February 12, 2026

Venue:  Curb Event Center, Nashville, TN

Where to Watch:  ESPN+

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  UNI +4.5, Belmont -4.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  UNI +4.5, Belmont -4.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  UNI +4.5, Belmont -4.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

Northern Iowa Panthers:  16-9 (8-6) (6th place, MVC)

Belmont Bruins:  22-4 (12-3) (1st place, MVC)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Big Al McMordie is on a HOT STREAK in college basketball on a 30-20 CBB RUN for +$7,900 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.

Northern Iowa Panthers:  4-1  last 5

Belmont Bruins:  4-1  last 5

Northern Iowa is entering this game with a 16-9 record overall, an 8-6 record in conference games, and they are 4-5 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Murray State Racers in their last game. Trey Campbell led the team in points in that game with 22 while Leon Bond III was next on the team with 19. Trey Campbell led the team in assists with 6 in that game while Tristan Smith led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 60.6% from the field, 41.2% from 3-point range, and 100% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 67.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 60 PPG against them. Northern Iowa has an ATS record of 14-10 this season and their O/U record is 8-16.

Belmont is entering this game with a 22-4 record overall, a 12-3 conference record, and they are 10-2 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Bradley Braves in their last game. Drew Scharnowski led the team in points in that game with 18 while Tyler Lundblade was next on the team with 16. Tyler Lundblade led the team in assists with 5 in that game while Drew Scharnowski and Brigham Rogers each led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 44.1% from the field, 30.3% from 3-point range, and 75% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 83.4 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 72.2 PPG against them. Belmont has an ATS record of 13-11-1 this season and their O/U record is 14-11.

The current betting odds have Belmont listed as a 4.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Belmont has looked great in their games this season with their 22-4 record overall and their 12-3 conference record which has them right at the top of the MVC. They have looked great on their home court too with their 10-2 home record this season. Meanwhile, Northern Iowa has looked good in their games this season with their 16-9 record overall and their 8-6 conference record which has them in the top half of the MVC. They haven't been a great road team though with their 4-5 road record this year. Northern Iowa has looked really good lately with 3 wins in a row now and they are 4-1 in their last 5 games, coming off a huge road win over Murray State in their last one. That hasn't been a common theme for them in road games though and they aren't going to follow that performance up with another on the road against the best team in the conference, especially since Northern Iowa's offense just isn't that good. Belmont is also 4-1 in their last 5 games and they have been rolling in their games lately, looking like the best team in the conference by far. They are off a loss to Bradley in their last one, but that game went to OT and Belmont has had a few close calls on the road lately, it just finally caught up. They have looked like a different team in their home games this year though and they will be looking to bounce back at home against a team they already blew out on the road earlier this year. Northern Iowa doesn't have the talent that Belmont has either so look for Belmont to bounce back in this one. The best way to place a bet here is on Belmont to cover the spread in this game. 

Northern Iowa Belmont Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Thursday, February 12, 2026 (9:00 pm ET start time) is Belmont 80 Northern Iowa 66.

Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Northern Iowa Panthers Belmont Bruins prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAB predictions and previews.

Northern Iowa Panthers: 4-7 ATS revenging a home loss vs opponent. 4-11 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 80%). 9-16 ATS versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game. 7-4 OVER revenging a home loss vs opponent. 

Belmont Bruins: 8-1 ATS off an upset loss as a favorite. 3-0 ATS after 1 or more consecutive losses. 7-1 ATS when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 80%). 6-2 OVER after playing 2 consecutive road games.

Northern Iowa Panthers:  M. Dubravcic (F) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Courbat (G) Questionable - Undisclosed.

Belmont Bruins:  G. Lemke (F) Questionable - Undisclosed. N. McClain (G) Out - Undisclosed.

"I am both excited and grateful for the opportunity to continue to lead our men's basketball program. I want to thank President Nook for his leadership, support and confidence in me and our staff. President Nook and his wife Cheryl have been terrific supporters of our athletic department." - Ben Jacobson on his contract extension.

“I think this team can win the Valley, and I think this team can win the tournament. We definitely don’t have a goal less than that. That’s been the goal the whole time. I feel good that this team can do it. I don’t think all the stars have to align for us to be a championship team. I think we have the pieces to be a championship team.’’ - Casey Alexander on his team this season. 

L. Bond 

T. Campbell 

W. Hornseth 

T. Smith 

M. Weisbrod

J. Jenkins 

T. Lundblade 

S. Orme 

D. Scharnowski 

I. West

PPG: Trey Campbell (13.5)

APG: Trey Campbell (3.8)

Reb/G: Leon Bond III (5.4)

PPG: Tyler Lundblade (15.5)

APG: Nic McClain (6.3)

Reb/G: Drew Scharnowski (6.5)

Coaches:

Northern Iowa Panthers: Ben Jacobson (20th season)

Belmont Bruins: Casey Alexander (7th season)