The 2021 Summit League Championship Tournament Quarterfinals will close down Sunday, March 7, so here’s the best North Dakota Fighting Hawks vs. Oral Roberts Golden Eagles betting pick along with all the key tips and trends and the latest odds update on DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Fighting Hawks meet the Golden Eagles for the second time this term. Back in January, they split a two-game set at Mabee Center in Tulsa, as North Dakota stunned Oral Roberts in the opener as a 9.5-point road underdog, 72-71, while the Golden Eagles comfortably won the closing contest as 8.5-point home favorites, 74-57.
North Dakota beat Omaha to clinch the No. 5 seed in the Summit League
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks (9-16; 8-8 Conf.) wrapped up the regular season with a two-game road set at the Omaha Mavericks. After a 72-62 defeat as 2-point road underdogs, the Fighting Hawks thrashed off the Mavericks 81-69 as 1.5-point road dogs. It was their third win in the last four outings, and the Fighting Hawks are 4-4 SU and 3-5 ATS over their previous eight contests.
Junior forward Filip Rebraca leads the way for North Dakota, posting 17.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, and he’s the only Fighting Hawks’ player who averages points in double figures. Senior guard Bentiu Panoam is tallying 9.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, while freshman guard Tyree Ihenacho is adding 8.7 points, 5.6 boards, and 4.2 assists a night.
North Dakota is No. 296 in the NCAA NET Rankings. The Fighting Hawks are scoring 97.7 points per 100 possessions (259th in the nation) on 42.9% shooting from the field (232nd) while surrendering 108.7 points in a return (305th) on 47.2% shooting from the field (320th).
Oral Roberts swept Western Illinois to finish fourth in the Summit League
The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (13-10; 10-5 Conf.) finished the regular season with a couple of home wins over Western Illinois. They beat the Leathernecks 85-81 as 9.5-point favorites and 95-59 as 8.5-point favorites, and the Golden Eagles are 4-2 straight up and ATS over their last six outings.
Sophomore guard Max Abmas paces the Eagles, averaging 24.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He makes 46.1% of his 3-pointers, taking 8.7 attempts from deep per contest. Junior forward Kevin Obanor is doing a great job, too, posting a double-double of 18.6 points and 10.0 rebounds a night.
The Golden Eagles are No. 176 in the NCAA NET Rankings. They score 109.0 points per 100 possessions (75th in the country) on 45.1% shooting from the field (115th) while yielding 108.2 points in a return (296th) on 43.2% shooting from the field (167th).
North Dakota:
- 7-12 ATS in the last 19 games overall
- 0-7 ATS in the last seven games played away from home on Sunday
Oral Roberts:
- 4-2 ATS in the last six games overall
- 9-4 ATS in the last 13 games played on Sunday
The Oral Roberts Fighting Eagles have sore serious defensive issues, but their offense should still be a decisive factor in this matchup. The Fighting Hawks will find a way to deal with Oral Roberts’ D, but their defense will struggle all night long.
Therefore, I’m backing the Golden Eagles to cover a 7-point spread. Max Abmas has been unstoppable so far this season, so he’ll torture the Fighting Hawks for 20-plus points. Also, the Eagles have more depth which could be important in case of some foul troubles or fatigue.
Pick: Take Oral Roberts -7.0 at -110
The Total:
The over has hit in ten of the Fighting Hawks’ last 11 games overall and five of the Golden Eagles’ previous six contests. I would lean on these betting trends and take the over in this one.
I’ve mentioned defensive flaws on both sides, and neither team can drastically improve. Furthermore, the Golden Eagles love to push the ball in transition, averaging 71.9 possessions per 40 minutes (45th in the country), while North Dakota records 67.8 possessions per 40 minutes (232nd).
Pick: Go over 153.0 points at -110