Montana vs Utah State prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball
Today at 10:40 AM
It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Montana Utah State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Montana Utah State.
The Utah State men’s basketball program lives in a world which accepts instability as a good thing. What do we mean by that? It’s not as complicated as it might sound. Utah State had an anchor of a head coach at the start of the 21st century. Stew Morrill won and won and won in Logan. He coached the Aggies for more than 15 years and gave the program something very dependable. He had a great run and then he retired from coaching in 2015, having established a quality program with a proven reputation for success. His immediate successor, Tim Duryea, failed to build on what Morrill created, but then came Craig Smith, who quickly re-established the USU basketball brand. Smith was great at his job. So was Ryan Odom. So was Danny Sprinkle. You can see where this is going. Utah State has had a lot of coaches pass through the program. Duryea was the only one who failed at the job. All the others used the Aggies as a stepping stone toward a bigger job in men’s college basketball. Smith went to Utah. Odom went to Virginia Commonwealth. Sprinkle is now at Washington in the Big Ten with the Huskies. Utah State is unstable, but in a good way. Coaches want to coach there. They usually succeed. Then they leave for bigger jobs. That is what Utah State has become in the coaching industry. There is instability in terms of who is leading the program, but the Aggies have become a very consistent program in the Mountain West, producing NCAA Tournament berths and upper-tier finishes in their league. This is how instability and stability coexist in Logan.
The new man in charge this season, replacing Danny Sprinkle, is Jerrod Calhoun, who spent seven seasons at Youngstown State. He developed the Penguins into one of the better programs in the Horizon League. YSU finished in the top two in the Horizon League standings in multiple seasons and came very, very close to making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. YSU won the regular-season Horizon League championship in 2023. Calhoun did tremendous work in Youngstown; he did everything but make the NCAA tourney. With that solid body of work on his resume, Utah State came calling in the offseason, and Calhoun accepted. Now we get to see a talented coach work at a job where good coaches generally manage to thrive.
Utah State has not played a tough schedule, but the Aggies have blown out three opponents and have looked good. The challenge for this team is to find something it can build on and develop each time it takes the floor, even if opponents don’t provide an especially robust challenge.
Montana has a lot to prove entering this game. The Grizzlies have been thumped by Tennessee and Oregon nonconference play, losing both games by more than 30 points. Montana’s two wins are over non-Division I opponents. The Grizzlies need to show they can play competitive ball against Division I teams from quality conferences such as the Mountain West.
Here are the Montana-Utah State College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Montana-Utah State Odds
Montana: +17.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +1160
Utah State: -17.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -2800
Over: 151.5 (-105)
Under: 151.5 (-115)
How to Watch Montana vs Utah State
Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
TV: Mountain West Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Montana Will Cover The Spread/Win
Montana won’t keep losing games by huge margins, and we don’t yet have a full sense of just how good Utah State really is. Montana won’t win, but it will keep this game moderately close, ultimately enough to cover.
Why Utah State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Utah State has been blowing out its opponents. Montana has been blown out by Division I opponents. This seems clear-cut.
Final Montana-Utah State Prediction & Pick
The spread is big, but Montana has been getting crushed this season, and Utah State has been winning by large margins. Take Utah State.
Final Montana-Utah State Prediction & Pick: Utah State -17.5
The post Montana vs Utah State prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
