North Dakota State vs Oral Roberts Prediction & PIcks (2023 Summit League Championship)

After winning 20 consecutive Summit League games this season, Oral Roberts has one final hurdle to navigate as they take on North Dakota State for the automatic bid tonight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (9:00 pm ET, ESPN2).

The Golden Eagles (29-4) went 18-0 in conference play in the regular season, and after tournament wins over North Dakota and St. Thomas, they are a win away from a second trip to the NCAA Tournament in three seasons.

But will the third-seeded Bison (16-16) mark a fifth straight championship game appearance with a first title since 2020? Read on for our North Dakota State vs Oral Roberts prediction, as well as our picks for tonight’s showdown in Sioux Falls.

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North Dakota State vs Oral Roberts Odds

Odds for North Dakota State vs Oral Roberts are via BetOnline as of Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at 1:05 pm ET.

Spread

• North Dakota State +10.5 (-110)
• Oral Roberts -10.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 153.5 (-110)
• Under 153.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• North Dakota State +440
• Oral Roberts -610

Will North Dakota State Prevent a Second Straight Undefeated Summit League Champion?

Last season, South Dakota State made a perfect run through Summit League play, which culminated with the Jackrabbits claiming the conference title with a win over North Dakota State.

Tonight, Oral Roberts will be looking to do the same, led by senior scoring sensation Max Abmas. Abmas was the star of the Golden Eagles’ run to the Sweet Sixteen two years ago, and he has remained at ORU instead of trying to jump to the pros or a bigger school.

This season, Abmas is averaging 22.0 PPG, and he scored 23 points last night to help see off St. Thomas, who made a valiant effort to upset the Golden Eagles and hand the auto bid to the winner of the North Dakota State-South Dakota State matchup.

It was ORU’s 16th straight win since a non-conference loss to New Mexico on January 9, and it was the 19th time Abmas has hit the 20-point mark this season.

Two of those 19 performances have come against North Dakota State. He scored 22 with six assists in a 92-69 home win on January 19, and he went for 27 and five assists in a 74-66 road win on February 18.

17 of Abmas’ 20-point performances have come against Division I opponents. ORU is 16-1 SU and 8-9 ATS in those games, while the over sporting a 10-7-0 record.

Also, Oral Roberts has scored at least 70 points in each of those 17 performances, and the Golden Eagles have scored 70+ points in 27 of 29 Division I games, including 19 of 20 Summit League contests.

That doesn’t really bode too well for North Dakota State, based on their results to this point. The Bison covered and won in last night’s 89-79 win over South Dakota State, but they are 4-16 SU and 7-13-0 ATS when allowing 70+ points this season.

North Dakota State vs Oral Roberts Prediction and Picks

NDSU vs ORU Prediction: Oral Roberts to win

NDSU vs ORU Picks: Oral Roberts -10.5 & Max Abmas over 20.5 points (BetOnline)

After getting a real scare from St. Thomas last night, I think Oral Roberts will put in a much better performance tonight against NDSU, knowing that anything less than a win will see them miss out on the NCAA Tournament.

Beating a team three times in one season isn’t easy, and I expect the Bison to give the Golden Eagles their best shot. But I think ORU will pull away in the end and secure their place in the March Madness bracket, where they will be a tricky proposition for some #5 seed out there.