College hoops betting interest focuses on the Missouri State vs Valparaiso battle Saturday at JQH Arena as the Bears look to defend home court and cover the NCAA basketball point spread.

This season, the Bears are 2-7 overall and 1-4 ATS ATS, while the Crusaders are 6-3 and 3-4 ATS against the number. As for the totals, Missouri State boasts a 0-2 on the OU, and Valparaiso is 0-5.



View Valparaiso vs Missouri State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
If you were backing the visitors in this one, the Crusaders were listed as 5.5-point favorites earlier in the day at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Bears sit at No. 148 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Crusaders sit at No. 172 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Crusaders will win this game 70-59.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Missouri State's No. 302 nationally ranked offense (59.7 points per game) against a Crusaders defense that sits as the No. 36 at 58 PPG. The Bears have been averaging 37.5% from the field, less than the Crusaders have managed so far this season (45.5% on average).

Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Valparaiso owns the country's No. 95-rated mark, allowing 65 points per game on the highway. Missouri State, on the other hand, rates No. 277 in scoring at home.

Valparaiso lost its last outing, a 65-52 result against New Mexico on December 8. They failed to cover in that game as a 10.5-point underdog. The Crusaders endured a 65-52 loss at the hands of the Lobos on Saturday, despite a 24-point effort from Ryan Broekhoff at The Pit.

In their last action, Missouri State was a 62-42 loser on the road against Oklahoma State. They failed to cover the 18-point spread as underdogs. Missouri State was crushed on Saturday, getting blown out by Oklahoma State and falling by a 62-42 score at Gallagher-Iba Arena.


Valparaiso Crusaders Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Oakland are 5-5
After a loss are 8-2

Missouri State Bears Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
After playing Oklahoma State are 3-0
After a loss are 1-9

A few Crusaders at Bears trends to consider:
Valparaiso is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Valparaiso is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Missouri State is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
Missouri State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games


Next up:
Valparaiso at Oakland, Monday, December 17
Missouri State at Alabama A&M, Tuesday, December 18