Many eyes in the college basketball world will be on Centrum Arena Saturday as host Southern Utah looks to handle the North Dakota State Bison in NCAAB action.

The Thunderbirds sport records of 7-8 and 5-5-1 ATS heading into this battle, while the Bison have 10-4 and 8-2 ATS marks on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 6-4 for the Thunderbirds and 3-6 for the Bison.



View North Dakota State vs Southern Utah Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had set the Thunderbirds as 7.5-point underdogs on the Sportsbook line for this contest.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 273-ranked Thunderbirds and the No. 40-rated Bison in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 82-68 win for the Bison on Saturday.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Southern Utah's No. 162 nationally ranked offense (69.1 points per game) against a Bison defense that sits as the No. 121 at 64.6 PPG. The Thunderbirds have been averaging 48.7% from the field, less than the Bison have managed so far this season (50.7% on average).

Defensively, North Dakota State features the nation's No. 80-rated defense on the road, allowing 65.9 points per game. Southern Utah, meanwhile, comes in at No. 157 nationally in scoring at home.

Last time out for North Dakota State, they were an 89-80 loser as they battled Oral Roberts on the road. They failed to cover in the match as a 7-point underdog. Taylor Braun went off for 25 points and added 3 rebounds but it wasn't enough as Oral Roberts handed North Dakota State an 89-80 defeat at Mabee Center.

In their last action, Southern Utah was a 75-68 loser at home against South Dakota State. They failed to cover the 5.5–point spread as underdogs. Jackson Stevenett scored 25 points for Southern Utah on Thursday, but the Jackrabbits managed a 75-68 victory over the Thunderbirds at Centrum Arena.

Next up:
North Dakota State home to UMKC, Thursday, January 12
Southern Utah at IUPUI, Thursday, January 12