Saint Francis Red Flash vs Chicago State Cougars Prediction – 2/9/2026

The Saint Francis Red Flash and the Chicago State Cougars are set for a Northeast Conference matchup on Monday, with both teams trying to gain traction in the closing stretch of the regular season. Saint Francis is looking to snap its three-game skid and improve its road record, while Chicago State hopes to build off a recent league win and fend off the Red Flash on its home floor. Here, I break down this contest in the NEC and give you my Saint Francis vs Chicago State prediction in college hoops.

Our Saint Francis vs Chicago State Pick

Pick:

Confidence: 3/5

Game Snapshot

• Matchup: Saint Francis Red Flash @ Chicago State Cougars
• Date & Time: Monday, February 9, 2026, 4:00 PM ET
• Venue: Jones Convocation Center, Chicago, IL
• Broadcast: NEC Front Row

Key Storylines

Both clubs enter this contest in the middle of dismal college basketball seasons. Saint Francis has struggled overall, carrying a 6-17 record with a 4-6 mark in NEC action, but the team is battle-tested and eager to reverse course. The Red Flash suffered three straight losses, including an 86-84 setback at Le Moyne College on Saturday, before turning its focus to Chicago State.

Chicago State sits at 4-20 and 2-9 against conference opponents. The Cougars earned a 63-57 victory over New Haven recently, led by Marcus Tankersley’s 19 points and production from Doyel Cockrill III, CJ Ray, and Joseph Owens. While Chicago State has been inconsistent, they have won two of their last three games and will try to stay hot with a win here.

Leading the way for the Red Flash is Skylar Wicks, who is posting 17.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, alongside Ahmad Harrison with double-figure scoring. Chicago State’s offense is led by CJ Ray at 13.7 points per game, with Tankersley close behind at 13.5.

Head-to-Head & Betting Trends

• Saint Francis won the first meeting between these teams 81-60 earlier this season.
• Chicago State is 10-12-1 against the spread going into this matchup.
• Saint Francis enters this game with a 10-11 record against the spread this year.
• The over is 11-10 in Saint Francis’ games this season.
• Chicago State is 12-11 to the over going into this matchup.

Saint Francis vs Chicago State Model Projection

Score Projection:

Win Probability:

Final Thoughts

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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