Credit: North Dakota State Athletics
Both of the Summit League Tournament Semifinals are scheduled for Monday night. In the second matchup, the 3-seed and defending champion Oral Roberts Golden Eagles will collide with the 2-seed North Dakota State Bison. The sharp contrast in each team’s style of play only adds to the intrigue of this tournament game. Although NDSU won both of the regular-season meetings, the first game was decided by a single point. Of course, with this being a one-bid league as far as March Madness is concerned, a win tonight is vital for both teams as they pursue an NCAA Tournament berth. The following article takes a look at the top college basketball betting picks and betting trends, then shares an Oral Roberts vs North Dakota State prediction for tonight’s Summit League Tournament matchup.
Summit League Tournament — Semifinal Game
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (18-11, 12-6 Summit) vs. North Dakota State Bison (22-9, 13-5 Summit)
Date: Monday, March 7, 2022
Time: 9:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Sanford Pavilion — Sioux Falls, SD
Coverage: ESPN+
The Golden Eagles emerged from last year’s Summit League Tournament as champions and went on an unforgettable run in March Madness as a 15-seed. Unfortunately, a few key pieces from last year’s Sweet 16 team have moved on. Oral Roberts still finished with a 12-6 record in league play this season. A big reason for this was the return of leading scorer, Max Abmas. A height listing of 6’0″ is probably generous, but that doesn’t stop the junior guard from lighting up the scoreboard. He led the Golden Eagles’ electrifying offense again this season with 22.7 points per game. Despite a slow start in Sunday’s Quarterfinal win over Western Illinois, Abmas still finished with exactly 22 points.
Losing Kevin Obanor from last year’s Cinderella team to Texas Tech via the transfer portal certainly hurt. However, Oral Roberts basketball has had other players prove capable of stepping up this season. Offensively, very few teams found much success in slowing the Golden Eagles down. According to KenPom, ORU ranks 61st in adjusted offensive efficiency with an average of 110.5 points per 100 possessions. Issac McBride joins Abmas in averaging double-digit points coming into tonight’s college basketball betting matchup. Forward Elijah Lufile, the team’s leading rebounder on the season, posted an 18-point, 14-rebound double-double in Sunday’s Quarterfinal win.
After winning back-to-back Summit League Tournament titles in 2019 and ’20, North Dakota State basketball lost to Oral Roberts in the final last year. Although the Bison did win both regular-season college basketball betting matchups between the teams this season, a win tonight would certainly exact the most revenge. NDSU will enjoy a rest advantage thanks to finishing one game clear of both ORU and Kansas City in the conference standings. The Bison cruised past 7-seed Denver in the Quarterfinals on Saturday night, earning a 20-point victory.
Although North Dakota State actually ranks slightly lower than Oral Roberts in the overall KenPom ratings, it’s difficult to quantify the contrasting styles through stats alone. The Golden Eagles’ offense may be the most efficient unit on the floor in tonight’s college basketball betting matchup, but their defense will also be by far the worst. While the Bison may not light up the scoreboard like other Summit League teams, their defense is as stingy as any in the conference. Experience will also be in favor of NDSU this evening. In forward Rocky Kreuser (16.0 points per game) and guard Sam Griesel (13.4 ppg), North Dakota State has a pair of upperclassmen who know what it takes to achieve postseason success.
All Oral Roberts vs North Dakota State college basketball betting odds can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: ORU: (+100) | NDSU: (-120)
Point Spread: ORU: +1 (-110) | NDSU: -1 (-110)
Total: 150.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
While the offensive capabilities and Max Abmas and others give Oral Roberts a chance in every game, it’s hard to envision them springing an upset tonight. North Dakota State basketball simply has too much size and experience. If the latter meeting between the teams during the regular season was any indication, the Bison also have a defense capable of shutting down ORU. NDSU earned an 18-point home win over Oral Roberts on February 17th.
The other key element to reiterate for this handicap is the rest situation. The Summit League rewards its top two seeds by letting them play their Quarterfinal matchups a day ahead of the 3- and 4-seeds. Thus, While Oral Roberts had to hold off a second-half surge by Western Illinois just last night, the Bison have not played since Saturday. Look for North Dakota State to win tonight’s Semifinal showdown.
Oral Roberts vs North Dakota State Prediction: North Dakota State -1 (-110 at BetUS Sportsbook)
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This post was last modified on March 7, 2022 1:50 PM
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