Northern Colorado Bears vs Idaho Vandals Betting Pick & Prediction 1/27/24
Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Bears versus the Vandals? Tip off is at at 5:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at ICCU Arena in Moscow, ID. In this Big Sky matchup, Northern Colorado is favored by -6.5 vs. Idaho. The over/under for the game is 151.5 points.
NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS VS IDAHO VANDALS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Idaho Vandals +6.5
This game will be played at ICCU Arena at 5:00 ET on Saturday, January 27th.
WHY BET THE IDAHO VANDALS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-68 in favor of the Vandals.
- Not only will Idaho pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +6.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 151.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 143 points.
Can Northern Colorado Secure a Road Victory?
After a 77-74 loss to Eastern Washington, Northern Colorado is 11-8 overall and 4-2 in the Big Sky. The Bears are 4-6 on the road this season, and their average scoring margin away from home is -2.2 points per game.
Today, Northern Colorado is favored by 6.5 points. So far this season, the Bears have been favored in eight games, going 6-2 in those contests.
As the favorite this season, Northern Colorado has gone just 2-5-1 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Bears have a mark of 4-5-1 ATS. On the road, Northern Colorado has an ATS record of 6-4 this year and they are 4-1 vs. the spread in their last 5 road games.
So far this season, the over/under record for Northern Colorado games is 12-5. The average scoring total in their games is 161.4 points, and today’s over/under line is 151.5. In their last three games, the average scoring total is 151 points.
In their recent matchup, the Northern Colorado offense ended with 74 points against Eastern Washington. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 46.8% and made 9 threes. Leading the team in scoring is Saint Thomas, who is averaging 19.8 heading into today’s matchup. Additionally, Dejour Reaves also maintains a PPG average of 13.8 heading into game.
At this time, the Bears’ defense is positioned 277th in the country, permitting 78.4 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Northern Colorado’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 43.3% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 32.9% this season.
Can the Idaho Offense Score Enough at Home?
Idaho enters this game with a 7-12 overall record, including a 1-5 mark in Big Sky games. The Vandals have lost six straight games and are coming off a 75-60 loss to Northern Arizona.
At home, Idaho is just 3-6 this season, and they have lost four straight games at home. For the year, they are being outscored by an average of 0.7 points per game at home.
As the underdog, Idaho has gone just 3-10 vs. the spread this season and they are just 0-3 ATS in their last 3 games at home. Their overall ATS record at home this season is 3-5-1 and they are 5-11-1 ATS on the year. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Vandals are just 3-7 vs. the spread.
Idaho’s over/under record this season sits at 8-8-1 and the average scoring total in their games is 140.2 points. Today’s over/under line of 151.5 is higher than the average OU line in their games (140.5). This year, 15 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s OU line, including two of their last three.
Compared to their season average of 69.1 points per game, Idaho struggled in their previous game. Against Northern Arizona, the Vandals scored 60 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 41.1%. Quinn Denker is leading the team in scoring at 12 points per contest. Julius Mims has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 11.9 going into the game.
In terms of defense, Idaho is currently on par with the NCAA average for points allowed, giving up an average of 70.9 points per game. Idaho will look once again to perform well on defense, holding Northern Arizona to just 41% shooting in their most recent game.