The Idaho Vandals will take on the Cal State Northridge Matadors in a non-conference matchup on Monday night. The Matadors are 2-7 for the season and are expected to struggle in the Big West Conference.
The Vandals are 5-6 for the season and are expected to finish somewhere in the middle of the Big Sky standings. They thrashed Northwest Indian College in their last contest and covered the spread with ease. The Matadors lost against the Northern Colorado Bears in their last contest and failed to cover the spread as underdogs.
Idaho vs Cal State Northridge Betting Odds
Idaho vs Cal State Northridge Match Details
Fixture: Idaho Vandals at Cal State Northridge Matadors
Date and Time: Monday, December 19 at 10:00 PM ET
Venue: Matadome, LA, CA
Idaho vs Cal State Northridge Key Stats
Even though the Vandals have a 5-6 record so far this season, they have won four of their last five games. With victories over community colleges Northwest Indian College, who they destroyed 125-51 last Friday, Pacific, Walla Walla, Northern Illinois, North Dakota, and most recently, they haven't faced the world's most difficult schedule.
The Vandals are placed at No. 320 among all the other collegiate basketball teams in the nation. In terms of offensive and defensive effectiveness, the club comes in at 258 and 349, respectively. Isaac Jones leads the squad in scoring and rebounding with 18.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
With a 2-7 record thus far this year, the Matadors have had a difficult start. Their only two victories were against Whittier and LaSierra College, neither of which are Division I institutions. So far this season, they have failed to defeat a DI institution. They haven't faced powerhouses since all of their defeats have been to mid-majors, and the only one that was close was a 74-73 defeat at Tennessee State.
In terms of national overall efficiency rankings, they are rated No. 308. The Matadors' defense, which ranks 279th in defensive effectiveness, is pitiful, but their offense, which comes in at No. 315, is much worse.
Idaho vs Cal State Northridge Betting Prediction
These are two of college basketball's worst teams. The Matadors haven't yet defeated a Division I team, but they've come close and played a much tougher schedule than Idaho, which has five victories, most of them against weak competition.
However, I believe that the Matadors will come together for this one game and defeat a bad team at home. This is one of the few opportunities they'll have to win this year. Tonight, bet on the home team to cover the spread.