North Dakota Fighting Hawks vs Oral Roberts Golden Eagles Picks and Predictions January 1st 2026

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles vs North Dakota Fighting Hawks Betting Preview

Summit League play tips off Thursday afternoon in Grand Forks as North Dakota hosts Oral Roberts at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Both teams enter searching for consistency, with North Dakota at 6-10 and Oral Roberts at 5-10. The market reflects that balance, and you can track real-time movement on the NCAA basketball odds page.

Oral Roberts is coming off a loss to UT Arlington but showed offensive structure and late-game execution. North Dakota enters with momentum after a dominant win over Dakota State, though that result came against a lower-tier opponent.

Line Movement and Odds

North Dakota opened as a narrow home favorite at −1.5, with the total set at 149.5. Early action has been modest on both sides, suggesting the market views this as a one-possession game.

Totals interest leans slightly downward based on efficiency concerns on both sides. For a broader look at conference matchups and early numbers, visit the college basketball previews page.

Matchup Breakdown

Oral Roberts’ edge comes from free throws and perimeter volume. The Golden Eagles shoot better than 77 percent at the line and average nearly nine made threes per game. Ty Harper remains the primary scoring option, while Ofri Naveh adds interior balance and rebounding.

North Dakota relies on depth and home energy. The Fighting Hawks showed they can score in bunches when shots fall, and Matthew Bothun’s efficiency off the bench adds flexibility. Eli King provides steady production, but North Dakota’s shooting efficiency has fluctuated against comparable competition.

If Oral Roberts keeps the game close late, their free-throw shooting becomes a deciding factor. For comparison against other projections, the free college basketball picks page helps frame the number.

Injuries and Conditions

Oral Roberts

No major rotation changes reported.
Full details: Oral Roberts team page

North Dakota

No significant absences reported entering conference play.
Full details: North Dakota team page

Indoor matchup, no external conditions.

Best Bets and Prediction

This profiles as a tight Summit League opener. North Dakota holds home court, but Oral Roberts brings the cleaner late-game profile with free throws and perimeter shooting.

Projected Score: Oral Roberts 75, North Dakota 72
Best Bet: Oral Roberts +1.5
Secondary Lean: Under 149.5, with efficiency concerns limiting scoring runs

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Summit games come down to execution late.