Denver Pioneers vs North Dakota Fighting Hawks Prediction, 2/7/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Denver Pioneers vs North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026

Location: Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in Grand Forks, ND

TV: ESPN+

The North Dakota Fighting Hawks (13-12) will play the Denver Pioneers (10-14) at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Saturday.

The Denver Pioneers played Omaha and ended up losing by a score of 84-82 in their last contest. Denver wrapped up the game having earned a 44.8% field goal percentage (30 out of 67) and made 12 out of their 30 3-point shots. From the charity stripe, the Pioneers knocked down 10 of 13 tries for a rate of 76.9%. When talking about hauling in rebounds, they earned 29 with 5 of them being of the offensive sort. They also doled out 10 dimes in the matchup in addition to forcing the other team into 8 turnovers and having 3 steals. In the matter of defense, Denver allowed the other team to shoot 46.2% from the floor on 30 of 65 shooting. Omaha earned 11 assists and had 2 steals in the game. Furthermore, Omaha pulled down 39 rebounds (10 offensive, 29 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. Omaha finished shooting 77.3% at the free throw line by making 17 of their 22 attempts. They converted 7 out of their 21 shots from long range. Concerning personal fouls, the Pioneers walked away with 20 and Omaha accumulated 17 personal fouls.

Carson Johnson is someone who came through in this game. He recorded 19 points on 6 out of 15 shooting. He played 38 mins played and also collected 4 boards. He finished the game shooting 40.0% from the field and distributed 4 dimes.

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Denver heads into this game with a mark of 10-14 on the campaign. They lose possession by turning the ball over 10.3 times per game and as a unit they commit 17.4 personal fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Denver is grabbing 33.8 boards per game and has accounted for 273 dimes this year, which ranks 314th in the country in terms of passing the ball. The Pioneers are shooting 38.4% on shots from 3-point land (214 of 557) and 77.0% from the free throw line. They are averaging 83.3 points per outing (48th in the nation) while connecting on 47.9% from the field.

When they are on defense, the Pioneers are forcing 9.4 turnovers per contest while drawing 18.8 personal fouls. They are conceding 38.1% from beyond the arc while they are 354th in college in points per game allowed (84.2). The Pioneers defense is giving up a FG percentage of 49.1% (731 of 1,490) and they surrender 35.1 rebounds per contest as a team. They rank 236th in college hoops in giving up assists with 321 surrendered on the season.

The last time they took the court, the North Dakota Fighting Hawks took home the win by a final score of 81-80 against St. Thomas. The Fighting Hawks earned 20 defensive rebounds and 6 offensive boards for a total of 26 in this game. They coughed up the ball 8 times, while earning 7 steals in the game. St. Thomas had 14 fouls in this game which got the Fighting Hawks to the free throw line for a total of 15 shots. They were able to knock down 10 of them for a rate of 66.7%. When discussing three-point shots, North Dakota converted 9 out of 26 tries (34.6%). When all was said and done, the Fighting Hawks went 31 for 62 from the floor which had them shooting 50.0%. The Fighting Hawks allowed St. Thomas to convert 28 of their 57 attempts from the floor which had them sitting at 49.1% in this game. They finished shooting 35.0% from beyond the arc via 7 out of 20 and finished the contest at 17 of 23 from the free throw line (73.9%). In reference to how they rebounded, North Dakota permitted St. Thomas to get 31 in all (7 on the offensive side).

Garrett Anderson ended up being a factor for the Fighting Hawks in this matchup. He accumulated 20 points in his 28 minutes on the court and accounted for 3 assists in this matchup. He made 8 of 19 in this contest for a field goal percentage of 42.1%, and had 1 rebound.

North Dakota has a record of 13-12 for the campaign. The Fighting Hawks commit 20.4 fouls every game and they hit 69.6% from the free throw line. They are dishing out assists 11.7 times per contest (328th in D-1) and they turn it over 10.4 times per contest. North Dakota has totaled 1,944 points on the campaign (77.8 per game) and they pull in 33.8 boards per contest. In terms of offensive execution, the Fighting Hawks are shooting 44.1% from the floor, which is ranked 256th in college.

The North Dakota defense gives up 36.4% on shots from beyond the arc (207 of 568) and opponents are connecting on 69.7% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have surrendered 15.4 dimes and 35.3 rebounds per game, which is ranked 304th and 223rd in Division 1. The Fighting Hawks defensively are ranked 259th in college in points per game surrendered with 76.8. They are forcing 15.4 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 48.1% from the field (348th in college).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Denver

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