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ESPN+ will continue its college basketball coverage with two teams squaring off in the Big Sky Conference. The Montana State Bobcats (21-9) will take on the Eastern Washington Eagles (22-8) in a hotly-contested matchup. Both teams are the respective first and second place of the Big Sky. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Montana State-Eastern Washington prediction and pick.
The Montana State Bobcat are in second place in the Big Sky and currently have a 32% chance of making the NCAA Tournament. They'll be making a big case for themselves if they can beat Eastern Washington and even the season series. The Bobcats are very hot right now, winning their last four games and going 9-1 in their last 10.
The Eastern Washington Eagles lead the Big Sky Conference, but only have a 28% chance of making the tournament. They'll still be playing for a lot as they look to capture a Big Sky title. Their biggest competition has been Montana State, so the Eagles will be looking to make a statement and sweep the season series between the two. The Eagles lost their last game to Idaho State, but won a whopping 18 consecutive games before that.
Here are the Montana State-Eastern Washington college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Montana State-Eastern Washington Odds
Montana State: +1.5 (-102)
Eastern Washington: -1.5 (-120)
Over: 144.5 (-110)
Under: 144.5 (-110)
How To Watch Montana State vs. Eastern Washington
TV: ESPN+, Regional Coverage
Stream: ESPN+, fuboTV
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Montana State Could Cover The Spread
Montana State's RaeQuan Battle and Great Osobor have been playing very well in the Bobcats' final stretch of the season. Either player can explode for a big number and is fed the basketball through their hot streaks. The Bobcats do a very good job of rebounding the basketball and boxing out. They'll have to be defensively sound against an Eastern Washington team that can score points in bunches.
Montana State has been a good covering team at 16-10 ATS. However, they've only covered the spread in one of their last five games. They're shooting a hot percentage from three in this recent stretch, so the Bobcats will look to get open shots early and try to get out to a lead against the Eagles. If they can do so, their defense should be able to hold off any Eagles comebacks.
Why Eastern Washington Could Cover The Spread
Eastern Washington looked every bit of a ranked team during their 18-game win streak and they look to close out their season with one last strong win at home. Eastern Washington was able to beat Montana State earlier in the season in a game where they had 18 turnovers. Still, the Eagles were able to secure the victory behind their 40 rebounds, 11 more than the Bobcats. The Eagles will once again have an advantage down low with the play of Casey Jones and Ethan Price.
The Eagles are undefeated at home this year, going 11-0. Against the spread, they're 18-10 overall and have gone 8-2 when playing at home. They'll certainly be the favorites to cover, but odds makers have this matchup favored ever so slightly for the Eagles. With the one-basket spread, the Eagles can expect a close game from the hungry Bobcats. If they can once again out-rebound them and force turnovers, they'll be able to seal their season off with a win.
Final Montana State-Eastern Washington Prediction & Pick
The may be the closest matchup of the day's action. Both teams have separated themselves in the conference and will be playing for all the marbles in the Big Sky. With the way Eastern Washington has played at home this season, I like the Eagles to bounce back from an uncharacteristic loss and get this win.
Final Montana State-Eastern Washington Prediction & Pick: Eastern Washington Eagles -1.5 (-120)
