Idaho vs. Portland State College Basketball Picks, Odds, Predictions 2/20/21

The Portland State Vikings and the Idaho Vandals meet in college basketball action from the Cowan Spectrum on Saturday afternoon.

The Portland State Vikings will look to continue their dominance over Idaho after an 84-64 win over the Vandals last time out. James Scott leads the Vikings in scoring, rebounding and assists with 12.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 2.6 APG while Khalid Thomas has 11.3 PPG with 5 RPG and Amari McCray has 10.7 PPG to make up Portland Sate’s trio of double-digit scorers up to this point in the season. As a team, Portland State is averaging 70.4 PPG on 40.4% shooting from the field, 29.1% from 3-point range and 69.6% from the foul line while allowing 67.1 PPG on 43.1% shooting from the field and 35.3% from 3-point range this season.

The Idaho Vandals will still be looking for their first win of the season after the loss to Portland State last time out. Scott Blakney leads the Vandals in scoring with 11.1 PPG while Damen Thacker has 10.5 PPG with 2.3 APG and Gabe Quinnett has 10.1 PPG to make up the trio of double-digit scorers for Idaho so far this season. Ja’Vary Christmas has a team-high 2.7 APG and Tanner Christensen leads the Vandals on the glass with 4.4 RPG this season. As a team, Idaho is averaging 61.3 PPG on 42.9% shooting from the field, 33.9% from behind the arc and 70.6% from the foul line while allowing 77.9 PPG on 47.1% shooting from the field and 39.3% from 3-point range this season.

Portland State is 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 road games and 12-5-1 ATS in their last 18 games overall while the over is 4-0 in their last 4 games against a team with a winning percentage below .400. Idaho is 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games overall and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Saturday games while the under is 4-1 in their last 5 home games. The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings between these two teams.

I get that you don’t just fade a winless team ATS because they’re winless, but it hadn’t mattered for Idaho up to this point so why start now? The Vandals have been getting pummeled left and right this season and just lost to the Vikings by 20 last time they met. I know that the trend has been the team that drops the first game comes back in the second, but that rule doesn’t apply to Idaho. Give me Portland State and lay the points.