Southern Utah travels to North Dakota on Thursday, hoping to boost its 11-19 record with a victory over the Sioux.

It's a game in the Big Sky Tournament, which will decide the conference title, not to mention deciding which teams make the Field of 68. This game is being played at a neutral-site court (Dahlberg Arena).

The Sioux are 15-15 so far on the season, and 14-14 ATS vs. the number. The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, are 11-19 and 14-14 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen North Dakota go 15-10 and the Thunderbirds go 12-12 on the totals.



View Southern Utah vs North Dakota Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Sioux were listed as 2-point favorites at most sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark earlier in the day. It opened first at Sportsbook, where the total was expected shortly.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Sioux rated this week at No. 223 and the Thunderbirds sitting at No. 217. It may or may not play a role in Odds Shark score prediction modelling that produced a 68-64 result in favor of the Sioux.



How They Match Up:
Scoring and defensive stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features North Dakota's No. 182-ranked scoring average of 67.1 PPG, against a Thunderbirds defense rated No. 300 and allowing 72 PPG. The Sioux FG% has averaged 42% to date this season, more than the Thunderbirds shooters have managed so far (41% per game).

Defensively, Southern Utah features the nation's No. 325-rated defense on the road, allowing 77.9 points per game. North Dakota, meanwhile, comes in at No. 218 nationally in scoring at home.

In their last action, Southern Utah was a 68-61 loser on the road against North Dakota. They failed to cover the 6-point spread as underdogs. A.J. Hess scored 16 points in a futile effort to lead the Thunderbirds to a win (they lost 68-61 to North Dakota at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Saturday).

North Dakota was a 68-61 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against Southern Utah. They covered the 6-point spread as favorites. North Dakota earned a 68-61 victory over Southern Utah on Saturday, getting 19 points from Jamal Webb at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.


Southern Utah Thunderbirds Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
After playing North Dakota are 0-1
After a loss are 2-8

North Dakota Sioux Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-2
After playing Southern Utah are 0-1
After a win are 5-5

A few Thunderbirds at Sioux trends to consider:
North Dakota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games