It will be a battle between BigSky opponents when the Idaho Vandals (13-6, 5-2 BigSky) welcome the Northern Colorado Bears (13-7, 4-3 BigSky) to Cowan Spectrum at the Kibbie Dome. The game starts at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 25, 2018.
Idaho opened as a 5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 141.5 points.
Northern Colorado Bears vs. Idaho Vandals ATS Prediction
In the Bears’ last contest, they defeated the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, 94-91. Getting to the free throw line was one of Northern Colorado’s largest advantages. They made 26 trips to the line, seven more than North Dakota. Northern Colorado rallied around Andre Spight, who was the top scorer from either team with 34 points on 10-for-21 shooting.
The Vandals defeated the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in their last game, 84-80. Idaho was successful at getting and making free throws. The Vandals made 22 of their 26 free throws (84.6 percent), while the Lumberjacks were just 14-22 (63.6 percent). Brayon Blake was Idaho’s leading scorer with 25 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
Second-chance points might be rare for Idaho in this contest. The Vandals rank 187th in offensive rebounding percentage (29.3 percent), while Northern Colorado ranks 45th in defensive rebounding percentage (74.9 percent). Opposite styles will be on display in this contest. The fast-breaking Bears rank 28th in possessions per game, while the slower-paced Vandals rank 255th.
Northern Colorado heads into the contest with records of 13-7 straight up (SU) and 10-6-1 against the spread (ATS). Of the Bears’ 17 games that accepted bets, 11 have finished over the total.
Idaho has a respectable 13-6 SU record, but they are just 6-8 ATS. Vegas is extremely accurate when predicting totals of Vandals games, with an even split between overs and unders.
Blake has averaged 15.2 points and 10.4 rebounds over the last five games for Idaho.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, the Vandals lost 81-77, unable to cover as 3.5-point underdogs. Perrion Callandret recorded 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists. The game finished with a total of 158 points, which was 14 points above the projected point total of 144 points. Northern Colorado had a much better turnover percentage (9.9 vs. 15.8). Idaho, on the other hand, had a better offensive rebounding percentage (20.6 vs. 18.9).
Northern Colorado Bears vs. Idaho Vandals ATS Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Idaho, ATS Winner – Northern Colorado, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Northern Colorado is 6-3-1 ATS on the road with 5 overs and 5 unders.
Idaho is 1-2 ATS at home with 2 overs and 1 under.
Northern Colorado ranks second in three pointers allowed per game (14.7) while Idaho ranks 249th (25.2).
The Vandals rank 27th in rebounds allowed per game (31.2) while the Bears rank 222nd (37.3).
Idaho ranks 70th in assists per game (15.2) while Northern Colorado ranks 231st (11.6).
The Bears rank 35th in steals allowed per game (5.3) while the Vandals rank 70th (5.8).
Northern Colorado allows the 14th-fewest blocks per game (2.3) while Idaho ranks 27th (2.5).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Northern Colorado is 1-4 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Idaho is 1-4 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Bears have been outscored by an average of 1.6 points in their last five games. On the season, Northern Colorado has defeated opponents by an average of 6.6 points.
During their last five games, the Vandals have scored an average of 72.6 points per game (0.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 69.6 points per game (3.8 above their season average).
