Montana State Bobcats vs Idaho State Bengals Betting Pick & Prediction 12/28/23
The Bobcats and Bengals are set to face off at 9:00 ET on ESPN+. The Bengals will host the game at Holt Arena in Pocatello, ID. The over/under for this game is set at 135 points, and the Bengals are the home favorites against the Bobcats in a Big Sky conference matchup.
MONTANA STATE BOBCATS VS IDAHO STATE BENGALS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Idaho State Bengals -1.5
This game will be played at Holt Arena at 9:00 ET on Thursday, December 28th.
WHY BET THE IDAHO STATE BENGALS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-68 in favor of the Bengals.
- Not only will Idaho State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -1.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 135 points, and we like the over with a projected 143 points.
Will the Bobcats Defense Show Up on the Road?
As they head into their 12th game, Montana State will face Idaho State with a record of 5-6. In away games, the Bobcats are 1-3, and they are 1-2 in home games. As of now, Montana State’s against the spread record stands at 2-5 leading into today’s game. In games played on the road, Montana State has a 2-2 vs. the spread record this season and is 5-5 ATS in their previous ten away games.
Montana State comes in with an over/under record of 2-5-0 through 11 games, with their games averaging a combined 135.4 points per game so far. When assessing the Bobcats’ performance in their last three games, their over/under record stands at 2-0, with their games averaging 171 points per game.
In their most recent game, the Bobcats’ offense tallied 70 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 73.9 points per game. Robert Ford was the leading scorer for the Bobcats, putting up 23 points. In addition, Brian Goracke contributed 14 points.
So far, the Bobcats’ defense is ranked 138th in the country at 70.0 points per contest. Against CSUN in their most recent game, the Montana State defense gave up a total of 82 points while allowing CSUN to hit 47% of their shots.
Does Idaho State Stand a Chance at Home?
The Bengals, who lost their most recent game to Oregon State (76-57), have a 4-7 overall record. When playing on the road, they are 1-7, while they are 1-0 at home. As of now, Idaho State holds a subpar ATS record of 3-6, sitting below .500. In their last ten games, Idaho State has yet to cover the spread, going 0-5.
Looking at their over/under performance through 11 games, Idaho State has an over/under record of 5-2-2, with their games averaging 135 points per game on average. The Bengals have seen their last five games conclude with a collective average of 143 points per game and an over/under record of 4-0-1.
Most recently, the Idaho State offense finished with just 57 points vs. Oregon State. For the game, they hit 6/23 three-point attempts and a field goal percentage of 35.8%. Coming into the game, the Bengals offense has strugled with their outside shot this season, hitting threes at a rate of just 30%. On average, they get up 19.3 three-point attempts per game and are averaging 10.5 made free-throws.
In the current season, the Idaho State defense has excelled, sitting 17th in the nation by allowing 61.4 points per game. Idaho State’s three-point defense is currently 4th in the country at 3.1 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 34.5% of their shots vs. Idaho State.