Montana Grizzlies vs Portland State Vikings Betting Pick & Prediction 1/25/24

Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Grizzlies and Vikings. The game is starting at 10:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Vikings at Viking Pavilion in Portland, OR. Get ready to place your bets! Montana come into this Big Sky conference matchup as the -5 favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 148 points.

MONTANA GRIZZLIES VS PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Portland State Vikings +5

This game will be played at Viking Pavilion at 10:00 ET on Thursday, January 25th.

WHY BET THE PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-68 in favor of the Vikings.
• Not only will Portland State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 148 points, and we like the under with a projected 143 points.

Do the Grizzlies Have a Shot at a Road Win?

Montana is 13-6 overall and has won three straight games. They are 4-2 in Big Sky Conference games and 9-4 in non-conference games.

On the road, the Grizzlies have gone 5-4 this season and have won three straight games. Their average scoring margin on the road is -4.3 points per game.

Montana has been one of the best teams in the country against the spread this season, going 12-4. On the road, they have an ATS mark of 7-2. Over their last three road games, the Grizzlies are a perfect 3-0 vs. the spread.

Today’s over/under line of 148 is higher than the average over/under line in Montana’s games this season (141.9). So far, 14 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total is 146 points.

In their recent matchup, the Montana offense ended with 77 points against Weber State. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 55.1% and made 7 threes. The top scorer for the Grizzlies was Brandon Whitney with 24 points, while Aanen Moody also chipped in with 18 points.

Montana’s defense is currently in line with the NCAA average for points allowed, allowing an average of 71.3 points per game. In today’s game vs. Portland State, the Montana defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Montana made 16 free-throws vs. the Grizzlies.

Can the Vikings Hold Strong at Home?

Portland State has been much better at home than on the road this season, and they will look to improve their record at home to 5-1. The Vikings are coming off a 90-61 loss to Northern Colorado and have lost two straight games. On the year, they are 11-8, including a 2-4 record in Big Sky Conference games.

So far, Portland State has been the underdog in eight of their 19 games, and they have gone 5-3 in those games. For the year, they have an average scoring margin of +4.0 points per game at home, compared to -7.8 on the road. Over their last 10 games at home, they have gone 6-4.

Portland State’s ATS record this season is 8-9, including a mark of 2-3 at home. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Vikings have gone 6-4 vs. the spread. At home this year, they are just 2-6 ATS.

Portland State’s over/under record this season is 7-10 and the average scoring total in their games is 142.1 points. Today’s over/under line of 148 is higher than the average OU line in their games this year (145.7). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 145 points and their OU record in those games is 1-2.

Most recently, the Portland State offense finished with just 61 points vs. Northern Colorado. For the game, they hit 3/22 three-point attempts and a field goal percentage of 36.1%. The top scorer for the Vikings was Kendall Munson with 16 points, while Ismail Habib also added 11 to the scoreboard.

At this time, the Vikings’ defense is positioned 143rd in the country, permitting 71.5 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Portland State’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 37.9% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 30.7% this season.