The Northern Colorado Bears (5-11, 0-4 Big Sky) and Sacramento State Hornets (9-7, 2-1) meet Thursday. The opening tip at The Nest will be at 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Northern Colorado vs. Sacramento State odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Northern Colorado has lost 6 outings in a row and is 0-5 against the spread (ATS) since Dec. 20. The Bears play a fast brand of basketball but have scuffled on defense, allowing 80.2 points per game, which ranks 10th in the 10-team Big Sky Conference.
The Hornets are coming off a 78-75 loss as 5-point underdogs at Eastern Washington Saturday. The slow-down Sacramento squad had a 3-game win streak snapped despite tying a season-high with 14 triples as it also allowed a season-high 13 long balls.
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Northern Colorado at Sacramento State odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:50 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Off the board (OTB)
- Against the spread (ATS): Northern Colorado +4.5 (-105) | Sacramento State -4.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 144.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Northern Colorado at Sacramento State picks and predictions
Prediction
Sacramento State 75, Northern Colorado 67
Moneyline
The moneyline was OTB at the time of publishing.
Against the spread
The Hornets are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 home games, and the favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in this series.
Sacramento State’s tempo is in the slowest-10% territory and UNC is 1-4 ATS in games against bottom-third-tempo squads.
Both teams can hit the 3-ball, but the Hornets do a better job getting looks underneath. Sacramento is by far the superior rebounding team, and a win in the area of a 3-possession margin looks to be as likely as by 2 scores. BACK THE HORNETS -4.5 (-115).
Over/Under
This game presents a clash of pace with mixed signals in how the game flow lays out. UNC’s offense has been on the downturn of late, and there is a lean on the Under.
Consider a PASS but a line watch: jump in on the Under at 145.5 or higher.
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