SportsLine's model revealed its CBB picks for Sacramento State vs. Idaho in the Big Sky Conference Tournament 2022
The 2022 Big Sky Tournament begins Wednesday at the Idaho Central Arena. The first game of the day pits the Idaho Vandals against the Sacramento State Hornets in the opening round. Idaho is 9-21 on aggregate this season and 6-14 in conference play, which includes a regular season split with Sacramento State. The Hornets are improving 4-1 in their last five games, 10-17 on aggregate and 6-14 in Big Sky play.
Tip-off is 11:30 a.m. ET in Boise. The Caesars Sportsbook lists the Hornets as the 1.5-point favorite, while the total number of points considered over-under, or Vegas, is 140 in the latest Idaho vs. Sacramento State odds. Before you make any Idaho vs. Sacramento State picks, you need to look at college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation models.
The SportsLine projection model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, proprietary computer models have generated an impressive profit of nearly $1,600 for $100 players over their top-rated college basketball selections against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Idaho vs. Sacramento State, and has simply closed in on its choice and CBB predictions. You can now head over to Sportsline to see the model picks. Now, here are the several college basketball odds and betting lines for Idaho vs. Sacramento State:
- Idaho vs. Sacramento State Spread: Sac. State -1.5
- Idaho vs. Sacramento State Over-Under: 140 points
- Idaho vs. Sacramento State Money Line: Sacramento State -125, Idaho +105
- IDA: Vandals are 12-8 against the spread at Big Sky Games
- SAC: The Hornets are 9-11 against the spread at Big Sky Games
Why Idaho Might Cover
Idaho's defense is excellent at limiting assists, ranking No. 2 in Big Sky in assist rates allowed. Sacramento State has the third-worst offensive efficiency mark in the conference, with the bottom-two points in free throw creation and free throw accuracy. The Hornets are also below average in both two-point shooting and offensive rebound rates.
On the other end, Idaho is impressive as a three-point shooting team, ranking 36.9 percent in the top 40 nationally for the entire season. Vandals are also above average in both free throw creation and free throw accuracy, improving overall efficiency. Sacramento State is the third worst in Big Sky in defensive rebounding and dead-last in assist rates, with opponents shooting more than 53 percent on two-point attempts against the Hornets.
Why Sacramento State Might Cover
The Hornet has remarkable strength at both ends of the floor. Sacramento State ranks third in the Big Sky in free throw prevention, and the Hornets are in the top four of the conference in block rate (7.6 percent) and steal rate (8.9 percent). The Hornets are also above average among Big Sky teams in limiting rival three-point shooting. Idaho is below convention average in turnover rate, offensive rebound rate, and two-point accuracy on offense.
On the other hand, the state of Sacramento is facing an Idaho defense that is struggling with numbers. Idaho Big Sky is dead-last in overall defensive efficiency as well as shooting efficiency, allowing two-point shooting, block rate and stealth rate. Sacramento State is a very strong three-point shooting team, making 38.2 percent of long-distance efforts in conference play, and the Hornets are better than average at ball safety with a 17.0 percent turnover rate.