Eastern Washington Eagles vs Montana Grizzlies Prediction, 2/5/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Eastern Washington Eagles vs Montana Grizzlies

Date: Thursday, February 5, 2026

Location: Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, MT

TV: ESPN+

The Montana Grizzlies (13-10) host the Eastern Washington Eagles (5-17) at Dahlberg Arena on Thursday.

The Eastern Washington Eagles played Northern Colorado and took a loss by a final of 74-71 in their last contest. Eastern Washington wrapped up the contest having earned a 46.6% FG percentage (27 out of 58) and converted 8 out of their 18 3-point shots. At the free throw line, the Eagles buried 9 of their 10 shots for a rate of 90.0%. In the matter of hauling in rebounds, they collected 32 with 5 of them being of the offensive variety. They also distributed 9 assists in addition to forcing the other team into 3 turnovers, but wasn't able to put a steal in the stat sheet. In relation to defending, Eastern Washington allowed the other team to shoot 40.0% from the field on 28 out of 70 shooting. Northern Colorado earned 16 dimes and had 6 steals in the game. In addition, Northern Colorado totaled 33 boards (11 offensive, 22 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. Northern Colorado finished the contest at 81.8% at the charity stripe by knocking down 9 of their 11 tries. They knocked down 9 of their 35 tries from beyond the arc. When discussing fouls, the Eagles finished with 14 and Northern Colorado totaled 15 fouls.

Alton Hamilton IV is a player who was a major contributor for the matchup. He finished shooting 53.3% from the field and also earned 1 assist. He was on the hardwood for 28 mins and also pulled down 8 boards. He was able to score 17 points on 8 out of 15 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Tonight

Eastern Washington comes into this one with a record of 5-17 this year. They are turning it over 12.9 times per game and as a unit they commit 18.1 fouls per game. As a unit, Eastern Washington is collecting 32.2 boards per game and has racked up 276 dimes on the season, which is 300th in Division 1 in terms of passing the ball. The Eagles are shooting 35.1% on 3-pointers (162 of 462) and 75.1% from the charity stripe. They are averaging 76.3 pts per game (189th in college hoops) on 45.4% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Eagles are forcing their opponents into 11.7 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 18.5 personal fouls. They are giving up 36.9% on shots from downtown and they rank 343rd in college in points per game allowed (81.7). The Eagles are giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 49.0% (630 of 1,285) and they concede 33.5 boards per game as a unit. They currently rank 273rd in college hoops in giving up assists to their opponents with 328 surrendered so far this year.

When they last stepped on the hardwood, the Montana Grizzlies took a loss by a final score of 86-79 when they faced Sacramento State. The Grizzlies pulled down 26 defensive boards and 10 offensive boards totaling 36 for this contest. They also coughed it up 15 times, while getting 5 steals for the contest. Sacramento State committed 19 personal fouls for the matchup which got the Grizzlies to the free throw line for a total of 21 tries. They were able to bury 16 of those for a percentage of 76.2%. Regarding shooting from distance, Montana made 7 of their 19 tries (36.8%). Overall, the Grizzlies ended up shooting 28 out of 58 from the field which gave them a rate of 48.3%. The Grizzlies allowed Sacramento State to convert 29 of 59 tries from the floor which had them shooting 49.2% in the matchup. They went 45.8% from distance by connecting on 11 out of 24 and finished the game at 17 out of 24 at the free throw line (70.8%). In regard to cleaning up the glass, Montana allowed Sacramento State to snag 27 in total (7 on the offensive side).

Te'Jon Sawyer was important for the Grizzlies in this matchup. He converted 13 of 16 in the game giving him a field goal percentage of 81.3%, and added 7 rebounds. He earned 31 points in his 34 mins on the court, but wasn't able to tally an assist.

Montana has a record of 13-10 so far this year. As an offensive team, the Grizzlies are connecting on 49.9% from the field, which is ranked 20th in Division 1. Montana has accounted for 1,820 pts this season (79.1 per game) and they average 35.4 boards per game. They are dishing out assists 15.7 times per game (88th in the country) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 13.8 times per contest. The Grizzlies have committed 17.7 personal fouls per contest and they shoot 78.0% from the charity stripe.

The Montana defense surrenders 31.6% on shots from distance (168 of 532) and their opposition makes 69.2% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have relinquished 13.2 assists and 33.0 rebounds per contest, which has them ranked 171st and 91st in those categories. The Grizzlies are ranked 161st in the country in PPG given up with 72.8. They are able to force 10.9 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 42.5% from the floor (104th in D-1).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Montana

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.