Montana State vs. Northern Colorado Big Sky Tournament Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Sunday, March 5, 2023

The Big Sky conference tournament continues Sunday as the No. 2 seed Montana State Bobcats (22-9, 15-3 Big Sky) face off against the No. 8 seed Northern Colorado Bears (12-19, 6-12 Big Sky) at Idaho Central Arena, tipping off at 10:00 PM on ESPN+. Montana State is an 8-point favorite to move one step closer to an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament bracket. The matchup’s over/under is 146.5.

Montana State vs. Northern Colorado Odds

• Montana State odds to win: -396
• Northern Colorado odds to win: +312
• Spread: Montana State (-8)
• Total: 146.5

Montana State vs. Northern Colorado Promo Codes

Game Time and Information

• Date: Sunday, March 5, 2023
• Time: 10:00 PM ET
• TV: ESPN+
• Where: Boise, Idaho
• Venue: Idaho Central Arena

Who Will Win Montana State vs. Northern Colorado?

Montana State and Northern Colorado Betting Trends, Records Against the Spread

Montana State is 6-3-1 against the spread when favored by 8 points or more this season.

In games it has played as at least a 8-point underdog this season, Northern Colorado is 2-5 against the spread.

These teams average 147.6 points per game combined, 1.1 more than the total of 146.5.

Montana State and Northern Colorado have seen their opponents average a combined 2.9 fewer points per game than the over/under of 146.5 set in this outing.

The average point total for Montana State’s games this year is 6.2 fewer points than the over/under of 146.5 in this matchup.

The average point total for the Bears this season is 4.4 points higher than this game’s over/under.

The Bobcats have gone 17-9-3 ATS this season.

The Bears have gone 13-17-0 ATS this season.

Montana State Stats & Insights

Montana State outscores opponents by 7.7 points per game (scoring 74.0 per game to rank 125th in college basketball while allowing 66.3 per outing to rank 70th in college basketball) and has a +238 scoring differential overall.

Montana State is 285th in the country at 29.8 rebounds per game. That’s 2.4 more than the 27.4 its opponents average.

The Bobcats knock down 6.2 three-pointers per game (301st in college basketball) compared to their opponents’ 6.5. They shoot 33.4% from deep while their opponents hit 34.5% from long range.

Montana State ranks 41st in college basketball with 99.7 points scored per 100 possessions, and 121st in college basketball defensively with 89.4 points conceded per 100 possessions.

The Bobcats are putting up 82.2 points per game when playing at home. In away games, they are averaging 69.1 points per contest.

Northern Colorado Stats & Insights

Northern Colorado is being outscored by 3.7 points per game, with a -114 scoring differential overall. It puts up 73.6 points per game (134th in college basketball), and allows 77.3 per outing (344th in college basketball).

Northern Colorado is 267th in the nation at 30.2 rebounds per game. That’s 2.1 fewer than the 32.3 its opponents average.

Northern Colorado hits 8.4 three-pointers per game (72nd in college basketball) while shooting 35.8% from beyond the arc (90th in college basketball). It is making 1.8 more threes than its opponents, who drain 6.6 per game at 32.9%.

Northern Colorado ranks 133rd in college basketball with 95.6 points scored per 100 possessions, and 353rd defensively with 100.4 points conceded per 100 possessions.

At home the Bears are putting up 75.1 points per game, 4.7 more than they are averaging on the road (70.4).

Montana State Key Players to Watch

Raequan Battle leads the Bobcats in scoring, tallying 17.1 points per game to go with 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assist.

Jubrile Belo is Montana State’s leading rebounder, pulling down 6.1 per game, while Darius Brown II is its best passer, averaging 4.7 assists in each contest.

The Bobcats get the most three-point shooting production out of Tyler Patterson, who knocks down 1.5 threes per game.

Brown is Montana State’s leader in steals, averaging 1.9 steals per game, while Belo leads them in blocks with 1.1 per contest.

Northern Colorado Key Players to Watch

Dalton Knecht collects 20.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Bears, making him the leading scorer and rebounder on the team.

Matt Johnson’s assist statline paces Northern Colorado; he dishes out 3.4 assists per game.

Knecht is the top shooter from the three-point line for the Bears, hitting 2.5 threes per game.

Northern Colorado’s leader in steals is Johnson (0.9 per game), and its leader in blocks is Knecht (0.5 per game).

Montana State vs. Northern Colorado Prediction

• Pick ATS:

  Northern Colorado (+8)
  

• Pick OU:

  Under (146.5)
  

• Prediction:
  Montana State 75, Northern Colorado 69

How to Bet on Montana State vs. Northern Colorado

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