Idaho Vandals vs Montana State Bobcats Prediction, 2/5/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Idaho Vandals vs Montana State Bobcats

Date: Thursday, February 5, 2026

Location: Worthington Arena in Bozeman, MT

TV: ESPN+

The Idaho Vandals (13-9) are hitting the road to Worthington Arena on Thursday where they will take on the Montana State Bobcats (13-10).

The Idaho Vandals faced Northern Arizona and earned the victory with a final of 79-62 in their last game. Idaho ended with a 54.4% FG percentage (31 out of 57) and made 10 of 25 three-point attempts. From the free throw line, the Vandals converted 7 of their 9 tries for a rate of 77.8%. Regarding grabbing rebounds, they earned 30 with 4 of them being of the offensive variety. They also recorded 16 dimes for this contest while forcing 11 turnovers and getting 7 steals. In relation to defending, Idaho allowed the other team to go 43.4% from the floor on 23 of 53 shooting. Northern Arizona distributed 8 dimes and had 5 steals for this contest. In addition, Northern Arizona grabbed 26 boards (7 offensive, 19 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Northern Arizona ended up shooting 61.1% from the charity stripe by converting 11 of their 18 tries. They also knocked down 5 of their 17 shots from 3-point range. In relation to personal fouls, the Vandals ended up with 18 and Northern Arizona racked up 14 personal fouls.

Isaiah Brickner is one player who was a major factor for the game. He finished the game at 75.0% from the field and dished out 1 assist. He saw the court for 28 minutes played and also snagged 8 rebounds. He scored 31 points on 12 of 16 shooting.

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Idaho heads into this game with a record of 13-9 for the campaign. They lose possession by turning the ball over 10.9 times per contest and as a unit they are committing 18.8 fouls per contest. As a unit, Idaho is snagging 36.8 boards per contest and has accumulated 291 assists on the season, which is 259th in the nation in terms of passing. The Vandals are shooting 36.3% on three-point shots (232 of 640) and 74.9% from the charity stripe. They are averaging 80.0 points per game (106th in the country) while shooting 45.2% from the field.

Defensively, the Vandals are forcing their opponents into 11.5 turnovers per game and they draw 19.2 personal fouls. They give up 34.2% on 3-point attempts and they are 182nd in the country in PPG allowed (73.5). The Vandals defense is giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 43.7% (555 of 1,271) and they surrender 33.4 rebounds per contest as a team. They rank 68th in college in allowing assists to their opponents with 263 conceded on the season.

For their last game, the Montana State Bobcats took a loss by a score of 63-54 against Portland State. Concerning attacking the glass, Montana State permitted Portland State to get 31 in total (9 on the offensive glass). They finished 36.8% from beyond the perimeter by connecting on 7 of 19 and finished the contest at 8 out of 12 from the free throw line (66.7%). The Bobcats allowed Portland State to make 24 of 53 tries from the field which gave them a rate of 45.3% for the contest. In all, the Bobcats went 19 out of 56 from the floor which gave them a rate of 33.9%. When discussing shots from 3-point land, Montana State buried 5 out of their 25 tries (20.0%). They were able to knock down 11 of the free throws for a rate of 84.6%. Portland State committed 13 personal fouls for the matchup which got the Bobcats to the free throw line for a total of 13 attempts. They also gave up possession 13 times, while earning 9 steals in this contest. The Bobcats pulled down 18 defensive rebounds and 12 offensive rebounds totaling 30 for the contest.

Jeremiah Davis ended up being a major contributor for the Bobcats for this game. He buried 6 of 12 for the contest for a field goal rate of 50.0%, and totaled 2 rebounds. He recorded 16 points in his 26 minutes on the hardwood, but wrapped up this contest with no dimes.

Montana State has a mark of 13-10 for the season. The Bobcats are responsible for committing 16.2 fouls per contest and they shoot 75.7% from the charity stripe. They are assisting teammates 11.4 times per contest (337th in the nation) and they turn the ball over 10.6 times per game. Montana State has accounted for 1,796 pts so far this year (78.1 per contest) and they pull in 34.1 boards per contest. In terms of offensive execution, the Bobcats are shooting 46.3% from the field, which ranks 122nd in the nation.

The Montana State defense gives up 33.1% on 3-pointers (152 of 459) and opponents are connecting on 76.5% of their shots from the free throw line. They have allowed 11.7 dimes and 32.7 boards on a nightly basis, which ranks them 54th and 72nd in those categories on the defensive end. The Bobcats defensively are ranked 106th in college in points allowed per contest with 70.9. They are able to force 11.6 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 44.4% from the floor (213th in D-1).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Idaho

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