Denver Pioneers vs North Dakota State Bison Betting Pick & Prediction 1/18/24

The Pioneers and Bison are set to face off at 8:00 ET on Summ. The Bison will host the game at Scheels Center in Fargo, ND. The odds for this Summit conference game currently have the Bison as the betting favorite with the over/under line sitting at 159 points.

DENVER PIONEERS VS NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON BETTING PICK

The Pick: North Dakota State Bison -2.5

This game will be played at Scheels Center at 8:00 ET on Thursday, January 18th.

WHY BET THE NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-69 in favor of the Bison.
  • Not only will North Dakota State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 159 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.

Can the Pioneers Pull the Upset on the Road?

Denver enters this game as a 2.5-point underdog, and they have gone 3-6 as the underdog this season. They are coming off a 99-80 win over South Dakota State, and they are 11-7 overall. In Summit League play, they are 2-1.

On the road, the Pioneers have gone 4-6 this season, and they are 1-2 in their last three road games. For the year, they have been outscored by an average of 1.5 points per game on the road.

As the underdog this season, Denver has gone 5-3-1 against the spread. Their overall ATS record is 8-5-1. On the road, the Pioneers are 5-4-1 vs. the spread this year and have gone 2-0-1 in their last three road games ATS.

So far this season, the over/under record for Denver games is 11-3. Today’s line of 159 is higher than the average over/under line in Pioneers games (154) and the average scoring total in their games this year (165.1). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0 and the average scoring total is 174 points.

Denver’s offense is coming off a strong performance, scoring 99 points against South Dakota State. They had an overall field goal percentage of 54.4% and made 11/16 free throws. The top scorer for the Pioneers was Tommy Bruner with 26 points, while Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente also added 23 to the scoreboard.

Coming into the game, Denver will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 78.4 points per game (272nd). In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Denver’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 38.9% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 29.6% this season.

Will the Bison Win at Scheels Center?

North Dakota State is 8-10 overall and 0-1 in the Summit League. They have lost five straight games, including a 91-83 loss to Eastern Washington in their most recent game. At home, the Bison are 2-2 this season and have gone 8-2 in their last ten games at home.

So far, North Dakota State has been favored in four games and has gone 3-1 in those matchups. For the season, they have been the underdog in nine games and have a record of 1-8 in those contests.

North Dakota State has an ATS record of 4-9 this season, including a mark of 2-2 at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Bison have gone 6-4 vs. the spread.

Today’s over/under line of 159 is higher than the average over/under line of 142.8 in North Dakota State’s games this season. So far, 10 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0 and the average scoring total is 181 points.

In their latest game, North Dakota State’s offense looked good, scoring 83 points against Eastern Washington. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 51.7% and made 11/13 free throws. In terms of offense, the Bison have a season-long field goal percentage of 48%, putting them 61st in the NCAA. Regarding three-pointers, they are ranked 60th in percentage and 101st in three-pointers made.

So far, the Bison’s defense is ranked 238th in the country at 75.7 points per contest. North Dakota State’s three-point defense is currently 64th in the country at 5.9 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 41.1% of their shots vs. North Dakota State.