Big Sky Tournament Preview, Prediction, and Bracket
- The 2021 Big Sky Tournament begins on March 10th
- The championship game will be at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, March 13th, at the Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho
- Read on to find out all the trends, odds, picks, and best bets for the 2021 Big Sky Tournament
The 2021 Big Sky Tournament tips off at 11:00 am ET on Wednesday, March 10th.
All tournament games will be played at the Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho, on March 10th, 11th, and 12th, with the championship game on Saturday, March 13th (8:00 pm ET).
2021 Big Sky Tournament Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Eastern Washington (2) | +175 |
| Southern Utah (1) | +200 |
| Weber State (3) | +250 |
| Montana (6) | +1000 |
| Montana State (5) | +1300 |
| Idaho State (4) | +2000 |
| Portland State (7) | +3500 |
| Northern Arizona (10) | +6000 |
| Northern Colorado (8) | +6500 |
| Sacramento State (9) | +7000 |
| Idaho (11) | +10000 |
Odds as of March 7 at Draftkings
The winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, but will ultimately be an extreme longshot in the March Madness odds.
The Montana Grizzlies have beaten the Eastern Washington Eagles in each of the last two Big Sky Tournament title games (2018 and 2019). Montana will have an uphill battle to repeat as they are this six seed after finishing 7-9 in conference play this season.
Three-Team Race
The Southern Utah Thunderbirds won their first Big Sky Conference Title in 20 years this season making them the number one seed in the tournament. At +200, they offer bettors some value as mentioned earlier, the number one seed has come out of this tournament in each of the last four times it has been played.
BIG SKY REGULAR SEASON 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 💍⚡️#StormTheSky x #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/eDY7GC5QBK
— SUU Men's Basketball (@SUUBasketball) March 6, 2021
The Thunderbirds did it with offense this season ranking 24th in the nation in points per game with 79.1. They get their scoring in many ways as four players averaged double-digits in points per game led by Tevian Jones’ 17.1. They likely won’t have to play anyone until the championship game as their side of the bracket keeps them away from Eastern Washington and Weber State.
Weber State Won’t be an Easy Out
Teams that can score litter the top of the Big Sky Standings and Weber State was the best of them. They ranked 20th in the nation averaging 79.4 points per contest while ending up 97th in offensive efficiency (adjusted for opponent) according to KenPom. Although it will do them no good in this tournament, they were especially tough at the Dee Events Center going undefeated in that building on the season.
‼️11-0 at home‼️
Our guys took care of business on the home court and stayed undefeated for just the 4th time since the Dee Events Center was built in 1977.#PurpleReign #WeAreWeber #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/isilURiksd
— Weber State Men’s Basketball (@WeberStateMBB) March 6, 2021
The Wildcats are the most balanced of the “big three” in this conference as they are the only one that ranks in the top 200 in defensive efficiency. They can get scoring from a variety of ways just like the other top teams in the conference but they also have the ability to lock up when necessary. They’ve only lost once since January 24th so they are in great form heading into the tournament.
Don’t Forget About Eastern Washington
With the season Southern Utah and Weber State had, it’s easy to forget about Eastern Washington as a player in this field. Bettors would be mistaken to do so as the Eagles may be the most battle-tested team in the field. They played non-conference games against Arizona, Oregon, and Washington State in the early going and almost won two of those games. As the two-seed, they are as dangerous as anyone.
The stage is set.
We've earned the No. 2 seed at next week's @BigSkyMBB Championships in Boise and will play the winner of No. 7 Portland State/No. 10 Northern Arizona at 4 p.m. PT on Thursday, March 11.
Stayed tuned to https://t.co/eaGlzsgIqK for more info!#GoEags pic.twitter.com/vv6Xz3a7k4
— EWU Men's Basketball 🏀 (@EWUMBB) March 7, 2021
The Eagles can score with anyone, averaging 79.3 PPG, 22nd in the nation. Like the other top teams in the Big Sky, they get their scoring in multiple ways as five Eagles average double-digit points per game. Of the top three teams in the Big Sky, KenPom has them ranked the highest at 122 in the country.
The Pick
The path to the championship game looks to be the easiest for Southern Utah as they will only have to go through one of the other two “big three” teams in the conference. Although they lost to both Eastern Washington and Weber State once during the regular season, only having to play one counts for something.
Despite Southern Utah having the easiest path, Eastern Washington seems like the play at the current odds. They didn’t have the chance to play Weber State in the regular season due to Covid-19 but there is a possibility Weber State doesn’t make it to them. The Wildcats will likely play Montana whom they lost to already once this season. There is no guarantee they get past the Grizzlies.
Even if Eastern Washington has to beat both Weber State and Southern Utah, they have the offense to compete. At +175, they are a good bet to win this tournament.
The pick: Eastern Washington Eagles (+175)
John has spent the past 20+ years betting sports on a daily basis and is considered by many to be a walking sports betting encyclopedia. From obscure player props to sides and totals, if there is an angle, John will find it.
