Summit League Championship Odds

Each of these squads survived harrowing tests in the Summit League Tournament Semifinals. Oral Roberts traded mega-haymakers with South Dakota State down the stretch, eventually winning at the buzzer thanks to a Kevin Obanor tip-in.

Meanwhile, North Dakota State, clawed back against South Dakota after trailing for most of the way. The veteran trio of Rocky Kreuser, Sam Griesel and Tyree Eady each made multiple enormous plays down the stretch.

Before I get into my selection, let me just say it outright: This is a tough game to handicap. These two teams split their regular season series, with each playing out very differently: North Dakota State won a low-scoring brawl, 61-54, while Oral Roberts bounced back the next day in an 80-74 victory.

That degree of variance between games illustrates that anything is possible between these two programs.

The must-have app for college hoops bettors

Custom scoreboard for your bets

Free picks from experts

Live odds for every game

Download Now

Matchup Breakdown

Both teams have clear paths to score here.

North Dakota State will almost certainly dominate in the paint and on the glass — areas where ORU just got blitzed by South Dakota State: The Jackrabbits out-rebounded the Golden Eagles 40 to 21. The Bison roll out an enormous lineup; even their point guard, Griesel, measures 6-foot-6, 215 pounds.

However, therein lies ORU’s advantage: Scoring guard Max Abmas is the nation’s leading scorer, and the 6-foot-1 thunderbolt will likely be able to get wherever he wants on the court. That opens up perimeter jumpers for the Golden Eagles’ arsenal of shooters, and every member of ORU’s seven-man rotation will launch it from deep if left open.

Betting Analysis & Pick

Those matchup advantages tempt me to take the over, but with both squads playing their third game in three days on a neutral floor, I’m concerned about the pace. Additionally, I think ORU will roll out some zone to combat NDSU’s towering frontcourt, and that defensive strategy could disrupt the flow of the game as well.

Thus, I’ll stick to a side here in what is ostensbily a pick ’em. As fun as ORU’s duo of Abmas and Obanor may be, NDSU has been here before. The Bison have won two consecutive Summit Tournament titles with Kreuser, Griesel and Eady each playing key roles.

Plus, the Golden Eagles defense has too many holes for me to trust it — especially since the NDSU offense has caught fire of late. The Bison having tallied 1.14, 1.10, and 1.38 points per possession, respectively, over the last three contests.

If I lose to Abmas racking up a 40-burger (as he did twice in February), then so be it. But, I trust Dave Richman on the sideline and NDSU’s playmaking trio to get the job done.

Pick: North Dakota State -1