Portland State Vikings vs Sacramento State Hornets Matchup

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

Portland State vs Sacramento State Prediction

Planning on watching today's Vikings and Hornets game? Catch the action at The Hornets Nest in Sacramento, CA, as the Hornets hosts this showdown at 4:00 ET on ESPN+. Portland State come into this Big Sky conference matchup as the -5.5 favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 141.5 points.

Portland State vs. Sacramento State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Portland State Vikings at Sacramento State Hornets
Where: Sacramento at The Hornets Nest
Date: Saturday, January 4th
Betting Odds PORTST -5.5, PORTST -253 | SACST +202 O/U 141.5

Vikings Preview: Can Portland State Secure a Road Victory?

Portland State improved to 5-5 on the season with a 59-58 road win over Bakersfield on Saturday. The Vikings entered the game as +4 point underdogs and covered the spread with the win.

After trailing 30-18 at halftime, Portland State turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring Bakersfield 41-28. The total points for the game came in well under the O/U line of 143.5.

Vikings Offense Breakdown

Portland State managed just 59 points in their last game, despite shooting 53.8% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 56.4%, with a strong two-point shooting performance of 63.3% (19/30).

However, the Vikings struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only 2 of 9 attempts (22.2%). They also recorded just 8 assists, with Fidelis Okereke leading the way with 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting.

Vikings Team Defense

Portland State's defense put on a strong performance, holding their opponent to just 58 points on 37% shooting from the field. They limited two-point opportunities, with the other team going 16/34 for 47%.

From beyond the arc, Portland State's defense was even more effective, allowing just 4 made threes on 19 attempts, a 21% shooting rate. They also sent the opponent to the line 17 times, where they hit 14 free throws for 82%.

Hornets Preview: No Pressure for Sacramento State as Home Dogs

Tuesday’s 82-45 loss to Oregon State dropped Sacramento State to 1-9 on the season. The Hornets, who were +20.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread in the road game.

Sacramento State trailed 30-20 at halftime but allowed 52 points in the 2nd half while scoring just 25. The game’s total of 127 points fell short of the 132.5 O/U line.

Hornets Offense Breakdown

Sacramento State's offense struggled in their last game, managing just 45 points with a field goal percentage of 32.1%. Their effective field goal percentage was 35.7%, and they shot just 16.7% from beyond the arc, hitting 4 of 24 attempts. Free-throw shooting was also an issue, as they connected on only 5 of 11 attempts, a 45.5% rate.

Michael Rataj was a bright spot, scoring 23 points on 8 of 12 shooting and grabbing 12 rebounds. Liutauras Lelevicius added 12 points, hitting 2 of 4 from three-point range. The Hornets finished with just 4 assists as a team and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds.

Hornets Team Defense

Sacramento State struggled defensively, giving up 82 points on 53% shooting from the field. The Hornets allowed 67% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opposing team hitting 19 of 28 shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, Sacramento State's defense allowed 10 threes on 26 attempts, a 38% success rate. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 16 times, where they converted 14 of those attempts, an 87% rate.

Vikings vs Hornets Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Vikings last ten road games, the team averaged 74 points per game while allowing 80. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 5-5, while going 3-7 straight-up.
Sacramento State has a 1-4 record in their last five home games. In this stretch, they averaged 59 points per game while allowing 74. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
Going back to their last five games as the underdog, the Hornets have a straight up record of 1-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 2-3.
Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Vikings have a straight up record of 6-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 4-6.