Portland State Vikings vs Northern Colorado Bears Betting Pick & Prediction 1/20/24
Betting on today’s Vikings and Bears game? Catch the action at Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley, CO, as the Bears hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this game is set at 157.5 points, and the Bears are the home favorites against the Vikings in a Big Sky conference matchup.
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS VS NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Northern Colorado Bears -6.5
This game will be played at Bank of Colorado Arena at 8:00 ET on Saturday, January 20th.
WHY BET THE NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-68 in favor of the Bears.
- Not only will Northern Colorado pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -6.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 157.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.
Can The Vikings Secure a Win at Greeley?
Portland State will be looking to snap their two-game losing streak on the road, where they have gone 5-6 this season. On the year, they are 11-7, including a 2-3 record in Big Sky Conference play.
So far, the Vikings have been the underdog in seven games, going 5-2 in those contests. For the season, they have gone 4-5 when favored. In their last game, they lost to Northern Arizona by a score of 84-65.
As the underdog this season, Portland State has an impressive ATS mark of 6-1. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Vikings have gone 7-3 vs. the spread.
So far this season, the over/under record for Portland State games is 7-9. The average scoring total in their games is 141.6 points, which is 3.2 points lower than the average over/under line of 144.8. Today’s over/under line of 157.5 is higher than 14 of their games this year. In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 138 points.
In contrast to their season average of 71.3 points per game, the Portland State had a below average performance. They scored 65 points against Northern Arizona and had a field goal percentage of 39.7%. Ismail Habib was the leading scorer for the Vikings, putting up 14 points. In addition, Isiah Kirby contributed 12 points.
So far, the Vikings’ defense is ranked 132nd in the country at 70.4 points per contest. In today’s game vs. Northern Colorado, the Portland State defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Portland State made 18 free-throws vs. the Vikings.
Can Northern Colorado Lock in a Home Win?
With a 4-2 record at home this season, Northern Colorado has been 0.8 points worse than their opponents on average. Over their last 10 games at home, they have gone 7-3.
After defeating Sacramento State 77-75, the Bears have a 10-7 record this season. They have gone 3-1 in Big Sky play compared to their 7-6 non-conference mark. So far, Northern Colorado has been the favorite in seven games and has gone 5-2 in those contests.
As the favorite, Northern Colorado has struggled against the spread this season, going just 1-5-1. Their overall ATS mark is 6-8-1, and at home, they are just 1-4-1 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Bears have gone just 3-6-1.
So far this season, the over/under record for Northern Colorado games is 12-3. On average, their games have finished with 12.5 more points than the over/under line of 150.3. Today’s over/under line is set at 157.5. This year, 14 of their games have had lower over/under lines than today’s line and their games have averaged 162.8 points per game. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0 and their games have averaged 170 points per game during that stretch.
The Northern Colorado offense is coming off a game where they scored 77 points against Sacramento State. They posted a field goal percentage of 52.5% and connected on 6 threes. Leading the team in scoring was Saint Thomas with 20 points. Dejour Reaves also added 16 points for the Bears.
Looking at the Northern Colorado defense, they will be looking for a better performance considering they are currently conceding 79.5 points per game (296th). So far, the Northern Colorado defense is giving up an average of 7.4 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 11.1 times per game (487th).