Idaho Vandals vs Montana State Bobcats Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Montana State vs Idaho NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Moscow.

Montana State vs Idaho Prediction

Planning on watching today's Bobcats and Vandals game? Catch the action at ICCU Arena in Moscow, ID, as the Vandals hosts this showdown at 9:00 ET on ESPN+. Montana State come into this Big Sky conference matchup as the -1.5 favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 145.5 points.

Montana State vs. Idaho Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Montana State Bobcats at Idaho Vandals
Where: Moscow at ICCU Arena
Date: Thursday, January 2nd
Betting Odds MONST -1.5, MONST -116 | IDAHO -105 O/U 145.5

Bobcats Preview: Do the Bobcats Have What it Takes on the Road?

Montana State Bobcats Recent Game/Games

Montana State dropped to 4-8 on the season after an 82-48 road loss to TCU on Sunday. The Bobcats entered the game as +10.5 point underdogs but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 130, falling short of the 139.5 O/U line.

Montana State trailed 42-25 at halftime and managed just 23 points in the 2nd half while allowing 40. The Bobcats will look to regroup after this tough loss.

Bobcats Offense Breakdown

Montana State struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 48 points with a field goal percentage of 35.2% (19/54). Their effective field goal percentage was 40.7%, and they shot only 19.2% from three-point range, hitting 5 of 26 attempts. At the free-throw line, they connected on 5 of 9 shots, shooting 55.6%.

Max Agbonkpolo led the team with 18 points, shooting 58.3% overall and 50% from three-point range. Noah Reynolds added 15 points and 5 assists, despite shooting 20% from the field. Trazarien White contributed 13 points, hitting 3 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Bobcats Team Defense

Even with Montana State holding them to 40% shooting, the Bobcats gave up 82 points in their last game. They allowed 44% shooting on two-pointers, with the opposing team hitting 16 of 36 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Montana State's defense saw the other team shoot 34%, connecting on 8 of 23 three-point attempts. The Bobcats also sent their opponents to the line 29 times, where they converted 26 free throws, an 89% rate.

Vandals Preview: Can Idaho Grab a Win at Home?

Idaho improved to 3-8 on the season with a 95-72 win over Pacific on Saturday. The Vandals went into the game as +4 underdogs but not only pulled off the upset, they covered the spread. The total points for the game reached 167, surpassing the O/U line of 143.5.

Idaho took control early, leading 47-31 at halftime. They added 48 more points in the 2nd half while allowing 41 points to the Tigers.

Vandals Offense Breakdown

Idaho's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 95 points with a field goal percentage of 58.7%. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 69.8%, thanks to 75.9% shooting on two-pointers and 44.1% from beyond the arc, where they hit 15 threes. They were also perfect from the free-throw line, going 6-for-6.

Kolton Mitchell led the way with 32 points, hitting 6-of-10 from three and shooting 70.6% overall, while also dishing out 6 assists. Idaho finished with 24 assists as a team, with Lamar Washington also contributing 6 assists to go along with his 14 points.

Vandals Team Defense

Idaho's defense gave up 72 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 42% from the field, hitting 27 of 64 attempts. Inside the arc, Idaho allowed 16 two-point baskets on 35 tries, a 45% shooting performance.

From three-point range, Idaho's defense saw the other team make 11 of 29 shots, good for 37%. They also sent the opponent to the free-throw line 9 times, where they connected on 7 attempts, shooting 77%. Idaho gave up 9 offensive rebounds.

Bobcats vs Vandals Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last ten road games, Montana State has an ATS record of just 5-5. However, their overall record was 3-7 while averaging 72 points per game.
Through their last five home contests, the Vandals offense has averaged 73 points per game while allowing an average of 73. Idaho posted an overall record of 2-3 while going 2-3 ATS.
Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Idaho has an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 3-7 straight up.
In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Bobcats have a strong straight up record of 2-1. In addition, their ATS record was 2-1 in these scenarios.