Denver Pioneers vs South Dakota Coyotes NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/4/25

Planning on watching today’s Pioneers and Coyotes game? Catch the action at Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion, SD, as the Coyotes hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on Summ. The over/under for this game is set at 163.5 points, and South Dakota is favored by -9.5 vs. Denver in a Summit conference matchup.

DENVER PIONEERS VS SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Denver Pioneers +9.5

This game will be played at Sanford Coyote Sports Center at 8:00 ET on Saturday, January 4th.

WHY BET THE DENVER PIONEERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-71 in favor of the Coyotes.
• Even though we have South Dakota winning straight-up, we like Denver at +9.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 163.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 148 points.

Will Denver Pull Through as the Underdog Road Team?

Denver Pioneers Recent Game/Games

Denver dropped to 3-10 on the season after a 91-70 road loss to South Dakota State on Thursday. The Pioneers entered the game as +15.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

Denver trailed 46-19 at halftime but put up a better fight in the 2nd half, scoring 51 points while allowing 45. The game’s total points of 161 exceeded the over/under line of 150.5.

Denver’s offense struggled from the field, shooting just 34.9% overall, but they managed to hit 12 threes at a 35.3% clip. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.4%, and they added 14 free throws, shooting 77.8% from the line.

Oscar Cluff was a standout, scoring 30 points and grabbing 19 rebounds in just 24 minutes, shooting 78.6% from the field and hitting his only three-point attempt.

Denver’s defense struggled, giving up 91 points on 52% shooting from the field. Opponents hit 60% of their two-point attempts, going 24/40.

From beyond the arc, Denver allowed 10 threes on 25 attempts, a 40% clip. They also sent the other team to the line 16 times, where they converted 13 free throws (81%).

Will South Dakota Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

South Dakota’s season record fell to 6-7 after a 68-54 road loss to Kansas City on Thursday. Entering the game as +5 point underdogs, the Coyotes not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 31-26 at halftime, South Dakota allowed 37 points in the 2nd half while scoring just 28. The total points for the game were 122, well below the over/under line of 153.5.

South Dakota’s offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 29.8% from the field, including 18.8% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 34%, and they managed only 6 assists as a team.

Jamar Brown led the Coyotes with 19 points and 11 rebounds, despite shooting 37.5% overall and 28.6% from deep. Cameron Faas added 17 points, hitting 37.5% from three-point range.

South Dakota’s defense gave up 68 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 41% from the field, hitting 23 of 56 shots. Inside the arc, the Coyotes allowed 48% shooting, as the other team went 16/33 on two-point attempts.

From three-point range, South Dakota’s defense held their opponents to 30% shooting, with 7 made threes on 23 attempts. The Coyotes also sent the other team to the free-throw line 22 times, where they converted 15 for a 68% success rate. South Dakota gave up 17 offensive rebounds in the game.