It will be a battle between BigSky opponents when the Portland State Vikings (11-5, 1-2 BigSky) welcome the Montana State Bobcats (11-6, 4-0 BigSky) to Pamplin Sports Center. The game is scheduled to start at 11 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 11, 2018.
Portland State opened as a 7-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 164.5 points.
Montana State Bobcats at Portland State Vikings Betting Prediction
In the Bobcats’ last outing, they defeated the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, 79-68. Montana State’s rebounding was their biggest advantage. The Bobcats had more offensive rebounds (13 vs. five), defensive rebounds (29 vs. 24) and total rebounds (42 vs. 29). Montana State was led by Tyler Hall, who was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points on 7-for-15 shooting.
The Vikings edged the Idaho Vandals in their last outing, 73-72. Portland State’s turnover percentage was their largest strength over Idaho. The Vikings had a rate of 10.4 (better than their season average of 13.1), while the Vandals posted a mark of 18.0. Deontae North was the game’s high scorer with 30 points on 11-for-15 shooting.
The prolific offense of Portland State (35th in the NCAA with an offensive efficiency of 114.8) will clash against the mid-tier defense of Montana State (212th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 103.5). The Vikings figure to have the edge on that side of the ball.
Montana State heads into the contest with records of 11-6 straight up (SU) and 7-8 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Bobcats games, with 8 unders compared to 6 overs.
Meanwhile, Portland State is 11-5 SU and 11-2 ATS. Unlike Montana State, games involving the Vikings have a slight tendency to go over the total (53.8 percent).
After the Bobcats won both matchups against the Vikings last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent matchup, Montana State won 92-90. Montana State’s effective field goal percentage was its biggest advantage over Portland State. The Bobcats had a rate of 0.600 while the Vikings posted a mark of 0.508.
Montana State Bobcats at Portland State Vikings Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Portland State, ATS Winner – Montana State, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Montana State is 4-7 ATS on the road with 6 unders and 5 overs.
Portland State is 1-0 ATS at home with 1 over and 0 unders.
Portland State ranks 13th in assists per game (18.2) while Montana State ranks 184th (12.4).
The Bobcats average 37.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 97th in the NCAA. The Vikings rank 242nd in rebounds allowed per game (39.6).
Portland State ranks first in steals per game (12.1) while Montana State ranks 124th (6.1).
The Vikings rank 18th in three pointers attempted per game (27.9) while the Bobcats rank 93rd (23.7).
Portland State ranks 54th in blocks per game (4.3) while Montana State ranks 110th in blocks allowed per game (3.8).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Montana State is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Portland State is 2-2 ATS with 3 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Bobcats’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 3.6, up from 2.5 for the season.
During their last five games, the Vikings have scored an average of 88.8 points per game (1.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 77.0 points per game (0.7 below their season average).
