Matt Fargo Sports Available Picks

March, 09 2010 6:30pm EST
ATS: Northern Colorado Bears +1.5 (-110)
LOSS for -3 unit(s)

Montana Grizzlies at Northern Colorado Bears

So exactly why is Montana favored here? It is obviously based on name alone and not by the quality of these two teams. Northern Colorado has had a sensational season yet no one has seemed to notice with the exception of one place. The Bears are the highest ranked team in the Big Sky Conference in the latest mid-major poll provided by CollegeInsider as they are ranked 11th followed by Weber St. coming in at 15th. Montana is no where to be found yet it is labeled as the favorite in this matchup. Northern Colorado is riding a four-game winning streak and overall it is 24-6 on the season which includes a solid 12-5 record away from home. One of those losses was a one-point setback at Oklahoma and while the Sooners are in a down year, this is still a team from the Big XII we are talking about. The Bears had four losses by six points or fewer and one of those came at home against Montana by two points which was their only home loss this season. That could raise some questions about being at a matchup disadvantage but it won in Montana by 11 points prior to that. Motivation is not an issue this time of year for most but that home loss should give Northern Colorado a little extra in the tank for today. Montana easily took care of Northern Arizona in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament but that game was at home and came against a team it completely dominated in all three meetings this season. The Bears have edges on the defensive side of the floor as well as free throw shooting, both of which are extremely important this time of year. They are 18th in the nation in free throw shooting at 74.6 percent and even better is the fact that they average over 25 attempts per game. With a win tonight Northern Colorado would set a school record for most wins in a season and the 13th non-home win would be good for third most in the entire country and that is saying something. 3* Northern Colorado Bears.

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