Denver Pioneers vs South Dakota State Jackrabbits Prediction, 1/8/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Denver Pioneers vs South Dakota State Jackrabbits

Date: Thursday, January 8, 2026

Location: First Bank & Trust Arena in Brookings, SD

TV: ESPN+

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits (8-9) host the Denver Pioneers (8-9) at First Bank & Trust Arena on Thursday.

The Denver Pioneers took the court against St. Thomas and took a loss by a final of 92-88 in their last contest. In the matter of personal fouls, the Pioneers ended up finishing with 22 while St. Thomas accounted for 19 personal fouls. They also made 13 of their 33 tries from beyond the arc. St. Thomas ended up shooting 58.6% from the charity stripe by converting 17 of their 29 shots. On top of that, St. Thomas collected 32 boards (13 offensive, 19 defensive), but didn't have a block. St. Thomas doled out 20 assists and had 7 steals for the matchup. In the matter of defense, Denver allowed the other team to shoot 46.3% from the floor on 31 of 67 shooting. They also recorded 12 assists in the game while creating 7 turnovers and having 3 steals. In reference to pulling down boards, they collected 32 with 6 of them being on the offensive end. At the charity stripe, the Pioneers knocked down 26 of their 30 tries for a rate of 86.7%. Denver ended with a 49.1% FG percentage (27 of 55) and made 8 of their 21 three-point attempts.

Zane Nelson is a guy who was a factor in this matchup. He was able to score 24 points on 4 out of 12 shooting. He played 39 minutes and also pulled down 9 rebounds. He finished 33.3% from the floor and also totaled 6 dimes.

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Denver comes into this one with a record of 8-9 for the season. They are turning it over 10.7 times per contest and as a group they are committing 17.4 fouls per contest. As a unit, Denver is pulling in 33.1 boards per game and has tallied 199 dimes for the campaign, which is 263rd in the nation in terms of passing the rock. The Pioneers are shooting 38.4% from downtown (147 of 383) and 77.5% from the free throw line. They are averaging 84.5 points per game (62nd in D-1) while going 49.0% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Pioneers are forcing 9.9 turnovers per game while drawing 19.4 fouls. They are surrendering 39.4% on 3-point shots and they rank 350th in the country in PPG allowed (85.0). The Pioneers defense is allowing a shooting percentage of 49.5% (523 of 1,057) and they surrender 34.3 boards per contest as a squad. They are ranked 302nd in college in giving up assists to the opposition with 235 relinquished for the year.

When they last stepped on the hardwood, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits took a defeat with a final score of 90-87 when they faced North Dakota. Concerning rebounds, South Dakota State permitted North Dakota to grab 37 in total (16 offensive). They went 34.3% from 3-point land by connecting on 12 out of 35 and ended up shooting 16 out of 18 at the charity stripe (88.9%). The Jackrabbits permitted North Dakota to make 31 of their 67 tries from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 46.3% in this matchup. When the final whistle blew, the Jackrabbits finished the game shooting 29 for 60 from the field which gave them a rate of 48.3%. Pertaining to three-point attempts, South Dakota State made 11 of 26 tries (42.3%). They were able to knock down 18 of those for a clip of 78.3%. North Dakota was called for 19 personal fouls in the game which got the Jackrabbits to the free throw line for a total of 23 shots. They also gave up possession 13 times, while earning 6 steals in the matchup. The Jackrabbits were able to pull down 17 defensive rebounds and 11 offensive rebounds for a total of 28 for this contest.

Joe Sayler ended up being important for the Jackrabbits in the game. He converted 9 out of 19 in this game giving him a rate of 47.4%, and had 5 rebounds. He earned 27 points in his 40 mins on the court and accounted for 2 dimes in this game.

South Dakota State has a win-loss mark of 8-9 for the season. When it comes to offensive execution, the Jackrabbits are connecting on 45.6% from the floor, which is ranked 177th in D-1. South Dakota State has earned 1,292 pts so far this year (76.0 per game) and they pull in 37.5 rebounds per game. They are earning an assist 14.7 times per contest (160th in college) and they turn it over 11.9 times per game. The Jackrabbits are committing 16.8 personal fouls every game and they connect on 69.5% from the free throw line.

The Jackrabbits are ranked 150th in college in PPG given up with 72.0. They are able to force 11.6 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 42.4% from the field (125th in college hoops). The South Dakota State defense concedes 32.2% on 3-point shots (150 of 466) and opponents are knocking down 72.8% of their shots from the free throw line. They relinquish 14.1 dimes and 33.4 boards on a nightly basis, which has them ranked 238th and 115th in college hoops.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take South Dakota State

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