Idaho Vandals vs Idaho State Bengals Betting Pick & Prediction 1/18/24

Planning on watching today’s Vandals and Bengals game? Catch the action at Holt Arena in Pocatello, ID, as the Bengals hosts this showdown at 9:00 ET on ESPN+. This Big Sky conference matchup has an over/under of 133.5 points, and the Bengals are favored to win at home vs. the Vandals.

IDAHO VANDALS VS IDAHO STATE BENGALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Idaho State Bengals -5.5

This game will be played at Holt Arena at 9:00 ET on Thursday, January 18th.

WHY BET THE IDAHO STATE BENGALS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-68 in favor of the Bengals.
• Not only will Idaho State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -5.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 133.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 144 points.

Will the Vandals Secure A Victory as Road Underdogs?

Idaho will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak when they take on Idaho State. So far this season, the Vandals have gone 7-9, including a record of 1-2 in Big Sky play. On the road, Idaho has gone just 2-4, and they are currently on a two-game losing streak away from home.

Idaho’s average scoring margin on the road this season is -15.2 points per game. In their last game, the Vandals lost to Eastern Washington by a score of 79-58. Over their last 10 road games, Idaho has gone just 3-7.

As the underdog, Idaho has struggled against the spread this season, going just 3-8. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Vandals are 3-7 vs. the spread. On the road, Idaho has an ATS mark of 2-4 this year and their last 10 road ATS record is 3-7. In their last three games as the underdog, the Vandals are 0-3 vs. the spread.

Idaho’s over/under record for the season sits at 7-6-1, and today’s line of 133.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games this year (141.1). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 142 points compared to their season average of 140.9 points per game.

Idaho offense recently wrapped up a game with a total of 58 points against Eastern Washington. In that game, they made 8/29 three-point attempts and achieved a field goal percentage of 28.1%. The team’s scoring leader is Quinn Denker, who holds an average of 12.2 as they head into today’s matchup. Additionally, Julius Mims is averaging 11.1 points per game this season.

So far, the Vandals’ defense is ranked 118th in the country at 70.1 points per contest. In today’s game vs. Idaho State, the Idaho defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Idaho made 18 free-throws vs. the Vandals.

Do the Bengals Have What it Takes at Home?

Idaho State is coming off a 66-64 loss to Sacramento State, and they are 6-11 overall and 1-3 in Big Sky games. The Bengals are 2-2 at home this season, and they have gone 6-4 in their last 10 games at home.

So far, Idaho State has been the favorite in three games, going 2-1 in those matchups. Overall, they have been the underdog in 12 games, and they have gone 2-10 in those contests.

Idaho State has struggled against the spread this season, posting a mark of 4-10-1. Their home ATS record is 0-4 and their last 10 games as the favorite have resulted in a 2-8 ATS mark.

So far this season, the over/under record for Idaho State games is 8-5-2. The average scoring total in their games is 137.5, while the average over/under line is 135.3, resulting in an average margin of 2.2 points. Today’s line of 133.5 is lower than the average scoring total in their games and there have been more games with more points (8) than less points (7) than today’s line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 0-3 with an average scoring total of 128 points.

Coming off their recent game, the Idaho State offense tallied 64 points in a matchup against Sacramento State. Their field goal percentage for the game was 52%, and they made 5 threes. Miguel Tomley led the team in scoring, putting up 16 points. Additionally, Kiree Huie contributed 14 points for the Bengals.

The Bengals’ defense is presently ranked 89th nationally, allowing an average of 68.5 points per contest. Idaho State’s defense is coming off a game in which they allowed the Sacramento State offense to knock down 50% of their shots on their way to putting up 66 points.