Idaho Vandals vs Sacramento State Hornets Matchup

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

Idaho vs Sacramento State Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Vandals versus the Hornets? Tip off is at at 10:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at The Hornets Nest in Sacramento, CA. Idaho is favored by -2.5 in this Big Sky conference showdown. The game's over/under is currently at 134.5 points.

Idaho vs. Sacramento State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Idaho Vandals at Sacramento State Hornets
Where: Sacramento at The Hornets Nest
Date: Thursday, January 9th
Betting Odds IDAHO -2.5, IDAHO -153 | SACST +125 O/U 134.5

Vandals Preview: Do the Vandals Have What it Takes to Win as Road Favorites?

Idaho's season record fell to 4-9 after a narrow 73-71 loss to Montana on Saturday. The Vandals were +2 point underdogs going into the game, and the final score resulted in a push against the spread. The game’s total points of 144 fell short of the 151.5 O/U line.

Idaho led 32-29 at halftime but allowed 44 points in the 2nd half while scoring 39. The Vandals will need to tighten up defensively to turn things around.

Vandals Offense Breakdown

Idaho scored 71 points in their last game, shooting 42.2% from the field and 29.6% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 48.4%, and they hit 90% of their free throws, going 9-for-10 from the line. The Vandals grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and dished out 10 assists.

Malik Moore and Money Williams each contributed 18 points, with Moore shooting 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Kristian Gonzalez added 19 points, while Jack Payne also scored 18, hitting 3 of 7 threes. Joe Pridgen recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Vandals Team Defense

Idaho's defense gave up 73 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 42% from the field. They allowed 19 two-point baskets on 37 attempts, a 51% success rate.

From beyond the arc, Idaho's opponents hit 8 of 27 threes, shooting 29%. The Vandals also sent them to the line 10 times, where they made 9 free throws, a 90% clip.

Hornets Preview: Does Sacramento State Stand a Chance at Home?

On Saturday, Sacramento State improved to 2-9 this season with a 56-53 home win over Portland State. The Hornets, who were +4.5 underdogs going into the game, not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.

Sacramento State trailed 31-25 at halftime but turned things around in the second half, outscoring the Vikings 31-22. The game’s total points of 109 fell well short of the 141.5 O/U line.

Hornets Offense Breakdown

Sacramento State struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 56 points on 37.3% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 43.1%, and they hit only 20.8% of their three-point attempts, going 5-for-24 from deep.

At the free-throw line, the Hornets shot 59.1%, making 13 of 22 attempts. Isaiah Johnson led the team with 13 points, hitting 2 of 4 from three-point range, while EJ Neal added 12 points and 8 rebounds, despite shooting 2-for-9 from beyond the arc.

Hornets Team Defense

Defensively, Sacramento State held their opponent to just 53 points on 37% shooting from the field. They were particularly effective in defending the three-point line, where they limited the opposition to 5 made threes on 24 attempts, a 20% success rate.

Inside the arc, their opponent shot 51%, converting 14 of 27 two-point attempts. Sacramento State also sent them to the free-throw line 22 times, where they made 13 free throws, shooting 59%. The Hornets gave up 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Vandals vs Hornets Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their three previous road games, Idaho has an ATS mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-2 while averaging 74 points per game.
Although Sacramento State has a straight up record of 4-6 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 7-3. The team averaged 63 points per game in these games.
Going back to their last five games as the underdog, the Hornets have a straight up record of 2-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 2-3.
Going back to their previous three games as the favorite, Idaho has an ATS mark of 0-3 while going 0-3 straight up.