Who’s playing
Denver Pioneers @ S. Dak. State hares
Current records: Denver 6-9, S. Dak. State 9-6
How to watch
- When: Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET
- Or: First Bank & Trust Arena – Brookings, South Dakota
- TV: CBS Sports Network
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- To watch on connected TV: CBS Sports app on Year And Television on fire
- Live broadcast: CBSSports.com Or fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $19.00
What you need to know
If the bettors’ predictions are verified, the near future looks promising for S. Dak. State. They and the Denver Pioneers will face off on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET at First Bank & Trust Arena. The Jackrabbits will look to keep their ten-game home winning streak dating back to last season alive.
S.Dak. State heads into Thursday’s contest having posted an impressive 166.5 points over/under odds set for its last game against Alabama. S.Dak. State suffered a bruising 105-82 loss to Alabama on Sunday. The Jackrabbits were in a tough spot after the first half, already up 57-33.
Oscar Cluff had a good effort for the losing team, notching a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds. His performance made up for a slower game against Colorado in December 2024.
Meanwhile, Denver entered its game against Northern Colorado two weeks ago undefeated at home, but there’s a first time for everything. Denver suffered an 82-75 blowout in the loss column at the hands of N. Colorado. This defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for the Pioneers in their clashes against the Bears: they now have six in a row.
Denver struggled to get the ball on offense and finished the game with just two offensive rebounds. This is the fewest offensive rebounds they have recorded since February 2024.
S.Dak. State has struggled recently as they have lost three of their last four games, which took a major dent in their 9-6 record this season. As for Denver, their loss ended a five-game home winning streak and dropped them to 6-9.
Thursday’s contest is shaping up to be a disjointed clash: S. Dak. State has crashed the boards this season, averaging 39.2 rebounds per game. It’s a different story for Denver, as they only average 30.3. Considering S. Dak. With the state having a significant advantage in this area, Denver will need to find a way to close that gap.
S.Dak. State beat Denver 76-68 in its previous game in March 2024. Will S. Dak. State repeats its success, or does Denver have a better game plan this time? We’ll know soon enough.
Odds
S.Dak. State is a heavy 15.5-point favorite against Denver, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The punters were perfectly in sync with the betting community on this point, as the game opened with a 15.5 point spread and stayed there.
The over/under is 151.5 points.
See college basketball picks for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
S.Dak. State has won 9 of its last 10 games against Denver.
- March 12, 2024 – S. Dak. State 76 vs. Denver 68
- February 22, 2024 – S. Dak. State 97 vs. Denver 70
- January 13, 2024 – Denver 99 vs. S. Dak. State 80
- February 16, 2023 – S. Dak. State 80 vs. Denver 75
- January 21, 2023 – S. Dak. State 76 vs. Denver 61
- February 10, 2022 – S. Dak. State 84 vs. Denver 61
- February 14, 2020 – S. Dak. State 90 vs. Denver 78
- January 08, 2020 – S. Dak. State 80 vs. Denver 68
- February 3, 2019 – S. Dak. State 92 vs. Denver 82
- January 10, 2019 – S. Dak. State 78 vs. Denver 66
