The Chicago State Cougars and Fairleigh Dickinson Knights will meet on Thursday in a Northeast Conference matchup between two struggling programs. Both of these teams have reached double-digits in the loss column already this season, but one of them has to come away with a win here. Before tip-off from New Jersey, you can continue reading to find my Chicago State vs Fairleigh Dickinson prediction here.
Our Chicago State vs Fairleigh Dickinson Pick
Pick: | FDU -2.5 |
Confidence: | 2/5 |
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Chicago State Cougars @ Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
- Date & Time: January 8, 2026, 5:00 PM ET
- Venue: Bogota Savings Bank Center, Hackensack, NJ
- Broadcast: NEC Front Row
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Key Storylines
- Chicago State has struggled mightily this season with a record of 2-13 overall and 0-2 in NEC play. They have just one win over Division I competition so far this season and they have lost three of their last four games by double-digits.
- Fairleigh Dickinson sits at 4-11 overall and 1-1 in conference action. The Knights have had trouble stringing wins together but recently put up a strong effort at home against Mercyhurst in NEC play. Three of FDU's four wins have come against opponents below the Division I level, which means you can throw the win totals for these teams out the window when handicapping this game.
- Both of these teams rank in the bottom 15 in overall ratings at KenPom. Chicago State is a couple of spots ahead of FDU in those rankings, but both teams are clearly playing some disastrous basketball that would not be worth writing about if this game wasn't in a standalone slot before the rest of the Thursday night games across the country tip off.
- With both of these teams being as bad as they are, this game serves as a huge opportunity for both sides. Both of these teams are usually big underdogs in most contests, but this game is close to a pick 'em game and one team will come out of this matchup with a win in conference play.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- FDU is 2-1 all-time against Chicago State. The Knights won 91-49 in the last meeting between these programs last season.
- FDU is 3-9 against the spread so far this season.
- Chicago State is 6-7-1 against the spread going into Thursday's game.
- The under is 7-5 in games featuring Fairleigh Dickinson this year.
- Chicago State is 9-5 to the over so far this year.
Chicago State vs Fairleigh Dickinson Model Projection
Score Projection: Chicago State 62 – Fairleigh Dickinson 69
Win Probability: Chicago State 42%, Fairleigh Dickinson 58%
Final Thoughts
It's hard to feel confident in either of these teams based on what we've seen from them so far this season. But I'm going to lay the points with FDU on their home floor in this contest. Chicago State should struggle on the road in an early start, with just one road win in 11 tries going into this matchup in the NEC.
Jay Sanin
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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