Denver vs North Dakota State Prediction 2/5/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Denver Pioneers and the North Dakota State Bison meet Thursday in college basketball action from Scheels Center in Fargo. Here’s a Denver vs North Dakota State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Denver vs North Dakota State pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Denver Pioneers Betting Preview

This year Denver managed to maintain a .500 record through 16 games, going 8-8 by the end of the calendar year. In 2026 however, the Pioneers have gone just 2-6 with losses to St. Thomas-MN, South Dakota State, South Dakota, North Dakota State, North Dakota and Omaha. Over the first 24 games of the season that gives Denver a 10-14 record in the books.

In the Omaha matchup back on Saturday the Pioneers went into the locker room sporting an eight-point lead 35-27. Denver was outscored 57-47 the rest of the way however, leading to a tough loss at home in the end 84-82. Zane Nelson posted 19 points with seven rebounds and four assists, while Carson Johnson added 19 points with four rebounds and four assists in the defeat.

North Dakota State Bison Betting Preview

Over on the North Dakota State side, they posted a pretty nice run in their first 13 games this year, going 10-3 overall. The Bison would then lose to UC Irvine and UTEP in consecutive games before beating South Dakota, Oral Roberts, Kansas City, Omaha, South Dakota State, St. Thomas-MN, Denver, Oral Roberts and South Dakota in succession for a 19-5 record so far this year.

In the South Dakota game last weekend the Bison were sitting on a nice 39-25 advantage by halftime. North Dakota State was outscored 49-35 in the second half though, and had to go to overtime to settle an 89-84 victory on the road in the end. Noah Feddersen paced the team in the win with 20 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes, while three other players scored 15 points apiece.

Denver Pioneers @ North Dakota State Bison Betting Trends: February 5, 2026

Why the North Dakota State Bison will win

• North Dakota State has won each of its last 13 games at Scheels Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Denver has lost seven of its last eight games at Scheels Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Denver has lost the first half in six of its last eight games at Scheels Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the Denver Pioneers will win

• Denver has won each of its last four night games following a home loss.
• The road team has won the first half in six of North Dakota State’s last eight games.

Denver vs North Dakota State Prediction

I’ll stick with North Dakota State. The Bison had a close call in a tight overtime victory on the road versus South Dakota last weekend but everything worked out well in the end. North Dakota State shot 54.7 percent from the field with a 32-26 rebounding edge and a  44-30 advantage on points in the paint in that one, but also gave up 47.4 percent shooting on defense and had 14 turnovers. The Bison have won nine straight games, with 76 or more points scored in eight of them.

These teams last saw each other on January 22 in an 82-77 road victory for the Bison. North Dakota State shot a nice 50.8 percent from the field with just seven turnovers in that one, but also gave up 48.4 percent shooting on the other side. The Bison are returning home here after three straight road matchups and should flourish.

Andrew Jett's Pick: North Dakota State Bison TBA