| MATCHUP | Northern Colorado Bears | Montana State Bobcats |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 10-3 | 6-7 |
| Spread | +2.5 -102 | -2.5 -118 |
| Moneyline | +130 | -155 |
| Total | Over 149.5 (-108) | Under 149.5 (-112) |
| Where | Worthington Arena, Bozeman, MT | |
| When | Thursday, January 1, 2026 | |
| Time | 09:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
Montana State Bobcats Preview
Montana State Bobcats have a 6-7 record this season and are sitting in a tie for 5th place of the Big Sky Conference. They have a 3-1 home record and are coming off a 93-54 home win against Northwest Washington. Their previous three games were an 83-80 away win against Cal Poly, a 57-67 away loss against Oregon State and a 68-72 away loss against Oral Roberts.
Offensively, Montana State averages 78.8 points per game, while allowing 69.2 points per game defensively. The Bobcats shoot with 47% from the field and grab 35.2 rebounds per game, while dishing out 12.4 assists per game. They average 2.4 blocks per game and 7.1 steals per game defensively.
Patrick McMahon leads Montana State in scoring, with an average of 15.3 points per game, while shooting with 49.6% from the field and 67.3% from the free throw line. Jed Miller is the team’s leading rebounder with 5 per game, while Patrick McMahon also leads the team with 2.3 assists per game.
Northern Colorado Bears Preview
Northern Colorado Bears have a 10-3 record this season and are sitting in the 1st place of the Big Sky Conference. They have a 4-1 away record and are coming off an 86-81 away win against Colorado. Their previous three games were an 86-79 home loss against Denver, a 101-90 away loss against Texas Tech, and an 89-87 home win against South Dakota.
Offensively, Northern Colorado averages 86.8 points per game, while allowing 76.2 points per game defensively. The Bears shoot with 51% from the field and grab 37.7 rebounds per game, while dishing out 18.1 assists per game. They average 2.1 blocks per game and 4.4 steals per game defensively.
Quinn Denker leads Northern Colorado in scoring, with an average of 18.7 points per game, while shooting with 54.6% from the field and 84.3% from the free throw line. Brock Wisne leads the team in rebounds with 6.1 per game, while Quinn Denker also leads the team in assists with 6.3 per game.
Northern Colorado Bears @ Montana State Bobcats Betting Trends: January 1, 2026
Why the Montana State Bobcats will win
- Montana State has won nine of its last 10 night games at Worthington Arena.
- Northern Colorado has lost three of its last four games at Worthington Arena.
- Montana State has won the first half in seven of its last eight night games at Worthington Arena.
Why the Northern Colorado Bears will win
- Northern Colorado has won each of its last six night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Northern Colorado has won the first half in 15 of its last 16 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Twenty-two of Montana State’s last 23 Thursday games against Conference opponents have produced a total of 149 or fewer points.
- Each of Northern Colorado’s last four games have produced a total of 165+ points.
Northern Colorado vs Montana State Prediction
In this Northern Colorado vs Montana State Prediction, Montana State is coming as -3 home favorites. Northern Colorado has been the better team this season, as they have a better overall record and have been almost perfect on the road. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games and 6-2 against the spread in their last 8, but Montana State has also been playing good basketball lately, having back-to-back wins and are 5-2-1 against the spread in their last 8. Montana State also has a superior defense, allowing 7 points per game less than Northern Colorado, so I like them as home favorites in this spot. Take Montana State and lay the -3 points.