Montana State vs Portland State Prediction 1/31/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Montana State Bobcats and the Portland State Vikings meet Saturday in college basketball action from Stott Center. Here’s a Montana State vs Portland State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Montana State vs Portland State pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Montana State Bobcats Betting Preview

The Bobcats had a pretty rough start this year, going just 4-7 over their first 11 games out of the gate. Montana State would then beat Cal Poly, Northwest U, Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington before a loss to Idaho. After wins over Montana, Northern Colorado, Idaho State and Weber State from there, the Bobcats had a 13-8 run in their first 21 outings.

On Thursday versus Sacramento State, the Bobcats were down by seven points at halftime. Montana State came back in the second half with a 42-38 run but couldn’t complete the bid in an eventual loss on the road 83-80. Jed Miller led the way on 25 points and 11 rebounds with five assists while Christian King had 23 points with seven rebounds and two assists in the loss.

Portland State Vikings Betting Preview

Over on the Portland State side, they got off to a reasonable start with a 5-2 run in their first seven outings this year. The Vikings would lose three of the next four versus Omaha, Colorado and Tulane, but then beat Weber State, Idaho State, Sac State, Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona, Eastern Washington and Idaho in the next seven outings for a 13-5 run in the first 18 games.

Matched up against Montana on Thursday, the Vikings took a 33-28 deficit into the locker room. Portland State had a 32-31 advantage the rest of the way but couldn’t close the gap in a 64-60 loss at home. Terri Miller was tops on the team in scoring with 15 points, four rebounds and two assists. Tre-Vaughn Minott added 12 points with 12 rebounds in 40 minutes of work on the floor during the defeat.

Montana State Bobcats @ Portland State Vikings Betting Trends: January 31, 2026

Why the Portland State Vikings will win

• Portland State has won each of its last 10 day games against the Big Sky Conference at Viking Pavilion.
• Montana State has lost 18 of its last 21 day games.

Why the Montana State Bobcats will win

• Montana State has won nine of its last 11 games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Montana State vs Portland State Prediction

I’ll take a stab on Portland State. The Vikings lost to a pretty solid Montana team this week by not doing themselves any favors. Portland State shot just 38.3 percent from the field with 18.8 percent (3-of-16) from 3-point range and a whopping 17 turnovers. The 32-26 deficit in the paint and 46.7 percent shooting allowed on defense didn’t help matters either. Portland State hasn’t been scoring great lately (even with a 7-1 run in the last eight); they’ve failed to hit 70 points in four straight games.

As for Montana State, they shot well from outside (42.9 percent) but not so well from the field (40.6 percent) in their loss to Sacramento State. The 40-18 deficit in the paint and 56.1 percent shooting allowed on defense were the major statistical culprits in the defeat. Still, the Bobcats are 4-1 in their last five games with 73 or more points scored in all of those. Portland State will need to hit the gas on offense in this one.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Portland State Vikings -4.5