| MATCHUP | Montana Grizzlies | Sacramento State Hornets |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 13-9 | 7-13 |
| Where | Hornet Pavilion, Sacramento, CA | |
| When | Saturday, January 31, 2026 | |
| Time | 10:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
The Montana Grizzlies and the Sacramento State Hornets meet Saturday in college basketball action from Hornet Pavilion. Here’s a Montana vs Sacramento State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Montana vs Sacramento 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 Grizzlies Betting Preview
The Grizzlies managed to keep their heads above the .500 mark (barely) over the first 11 games at 6-5, then hit a 3-4 stretch with losses to Montana Tech, Louisville, Eastern Washington and Montana State. The wins otherwise were over Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado and Idaho. After that came wins over Northern Arizona, Weber State and Idaho State, giving the Grizz a 12-9 run in their first 21 games.
On Thursday versus Portland State, Montana was up by five points 33-28 going into the second half. The Grizzlies managed to hang on for the victory on the road 64-60 following a 32-31 deficit from there. Money Williams led the way on 24 points with two rebounds and two assists. Both Grant Kepley (five rebounds) and Kenyon Aguino (one rebound) had 10 points each.
Sacramento State Hornets Betting Preview
Over on the Hornets’ side, they logged a .500 run in their first eight games this year at 4-4. A losing streak versus Pacific, Baylor, Cal Baptist, CSU Northridge, Idaho State, Weber State and Portland State came next, then wins over Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado. After losses to Idaho and Eastern Washington in the next pair the Hornets were sitting at 6-13 over the first 19 games.
Matched up against Montana State on Thursday the Hornets were in control during the first half with a 45-38 run. Sacramento State was outscored 42-38 the rest of the way but still held on for the eventual win at home 83-80 in the end. Prophet Johnson topped the team on 27 points with six assists and five rebounds while Mikey Williams added 23 points with five assists in the win.
Montana Grizzlies @ Sacramento State Hornets Betting Trends: January 31, 2026
Why the Sacramento State Hornets will win
- Sacramento State has won seven of its last eight home games.
Why the Montana Grizzlies will win
- Montana has won 17 of its last 18 night games against the Big Sky Conference.
- Sacramento State has lost 12 of its last 13 Saturday games against Conference opponents.
- Montana has won the first half in four of its last five road games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Montana vs Sacramento State Prediction
I’ll lean toward Montana but you could call this one either way. The Grizzlies took out a pretty decent Portland State team on the road this week, shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 80 percent (20-of-25) from the line. It wasn’t perfect though, as Montana was just 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from 3-point range and coughed up 16 turnovers along the way. Still, that makes four straight wins for the Grizzlies, with a nice 69 or more points scored in three of those.
As for Sac State, they shot very well (56.1 percent) from the field in their latest win over Montana State, along with an impressive 40-18 advantage on points in the paint. The rebounding (a 39-29 deficit) wasn’t spectacular, though. The Hornets are 3-2 in their last five games and scoring well overall. They could give Montana some trouble in this matchup.