The Southern Utah Thunderbirds (5-18) will try to put an end to their seven-game skid when they take on the Montana State Bobcats (11-13) at Max Worthington Arena. Action begins at 4:05 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 13.
The Bobcats enter this game hoping for similar success after dismantling Northern Arizona 101-58 on Thursday. Tyler Hall was the game’s leading scorer with 29 points on 10-for-14 shooting. The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their ugly 86-53 loss against Montana on Thursday. John Marshall had a team-high nine points.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Thunderbirds winning the first matchup 93-82. Hall had a standout performance with 36 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and five three-pointers in the loss.
The Bobcats come into this game 11-13 Straight Up (SU) and 13-9 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 1-9 ATS. The Bobcats have no trouble scoring as they rank 42nd in the nation in home offense with 82.0 points per game. The Bobcats are one of the best in Division I in terms of three-point field goals, making 9.0 shots per game from beyond the arc. Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for Montana State in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 13.1 offensive boards per game.
As for their opponent, the Thunderbirds have 5-18 SU and 4-17 ATS records. Offensively, the Thunderbirds have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 69.3 points per game by averaging 76.0 during that stretch. The Thunderbirds average 81.4 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 74.0 points per game during that span.
In their previous meeting this season, Southern Utah beat Montana State, but the win was not enough to overtake Montana State in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 1-5 SU over the most recent meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 3-3 record. Montana State held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Southern Utah never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – MontSt, ATS Winner – MontSt
Notes
“Montana State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games “.
“Montana State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Montana State’s last 15 games “.
“Montana State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Montana State is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montana State’s last 6 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montana State’s last 6 games when playing Southern Utah”.
Montana State averages 76.5 points per game (ranked 89th). Southern Utah, on the other hand, allows 81.4 points per game (ranked 247th).
In its last game, Montana State won by a margin of 43 points. Southern Utah is 2-8 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Montana State has a 1-2 record in blowouts.
On average, Montana State has 69.8 possessions per game and scores 1.097 points on each possession. Southern Utah has both fewer possessions (69.3) and scores fewer points during those possessions (.999).
The Montana State Bobcats average an effective field goal percentage of 51.2% this season. The Southern Utah Thunderbirds have an underachieving record of 2-15 when opponents have an eFG% of 51.2% or greater.
On average, the Montana State Bobcats attempt 25.0 three point field goals per game and the Southern Utah Thunderbirds attempt 19.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Montana State is 9-12, while Southern Utah has an abysmal record of 2-9.
On average, Montana State makes 4.6 steals per game. Southern Utah is a subpar 3-16 when it gives up at least 4 steals.
