The Denver Pioneers (16-16, 6-10 Summit) play the Omaha Mavericks (15-17, 7-9) today in tournament action. This game should be close. The vast majority of people are predicting that the Mavericks will get a win. And while their resume would be nowhere near good enough for further postseason play, some are optimistic that they can win the Summit League conference tournament.
However, they will face opposition from a Pioneers team that certainly has more offensive power than they do. Conversely, the Denver defense remains the bigger issue for that side. Furthermore, Omaha beat Denver in Colorado by a convincing margin. However, Denver set the tone earlier with a dominating win in Omaha. Therefore, these two teams should be able to not only match up well against each other but also provide an entertaining evening of basketball.
But who do you see breaking this season’s tie between these two schools?
Denver Pioneers vs Omaha Mavericks Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | MoneyLine |
| Denver | PK -112 | O 154 -112 | -115 |
| Omaha | PK -108 | U 154 -108 | -105 |
| **Odds Courtesy of DraftKings** | |||
Denver Pioneers vs Omaha Mavericks Game Details
- Fixture: Denver Pioneers @ Omaha Mavericks
- Date and Time: March 11, 2024 @ 9:30 pm EST
- Location: Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD
Apex Tale of the Tape
| Denver Pioneers | Vs. | Omaha Mavericks |
| 16-16 | Record | 15-17 |
| 81.9 | Points Per Game | 74.3 |
| 45.4 | FG% | 45.3 |
| 35.0 | 3PT% | 32.9 |
| 35.2 | Rebounds Per Game | 33.3 |
| 81.2 | Points Allowed Per Game | 73.1 |
| 46.8 | Defensive FG% | 45.1 |
| 35.6 | Defensive 3PT% | 35.6 |
| 74.2 | Defensive FT% | 75.0 |
| 36.1 | Defensive Rebounds Per Game | 33.7 |
| 2-3 | Last 5 W-L | 2-3 |
| 69.3 | Team Pace | 71.1 |
Key Stats
Denver Pioneers
Denver is a team that wants to end the season on a positive note. Although they are three and two in the last five games, they hope that a Summit League championship appearance will allow them to go dancing. However, they have not ended the season in the best of ways, and losses came at bad times during the season. However, a win over the Omaha Mavericks today would at least put them over .500 on the season. Moreover, their recent losses were against teams that were at least above them in the standings. Therefore, some of these losses aren’t nearly as bad, but the 37-point loss on the road to South Dakota State indicates that they are not likely to be able to match up with good teams throughout the nation.
Moreover, they squeaked by Kansas City in order to even get to this point in the tournament. But Tommy Bruner scored 16 points to help boost the scoring. However, it was off of one of seven shooting from three-point range. Therefore, it’s reasonable to think that he will be able to be more consistent from outside today. Additionally, Jaxon Brenchley scored 15 points and was able to finish a more efficient 3 of 4 from three-point range against Omaha. But Deandre Craig led as a jack of all trades and finished with 13 points and seven crucial rebounds in the victory. It will be important for Craig to secure the glass and ensure that the old Maha Mavericks do not get second-chance opportunities today.
Omaha Mavericks
Omaha is a team that would like to join fellow Nebraska schools Creighton and the Nebraska Cornhuskers tournament. However, in order to do so, they will need to win the Summit League conference tournament. Therefore, it’s crucial for the Omaha Mavericks to not only beat the Denver Pioneers but to then go on and beat the winner of the other semi-final. However, they will face stiff competition as their offense is more limited than that of the Pioneers tonight. But they are coming off a good win against North Dakota and are looking to build on that.
Firstly, Frankie Fidler is a scoring machine and contributed 34 points in the win against North Dakota. Additionally, JJ White provided seven points while setting teammates up with four assists in the game. Therefore, it’s essential that those two have good games tonight. Although anyone could step up on any given night, those players need to keep up their good run of play from the North Dakota game if the Omaha Mavericks are going to hope to make the conference championship tonight.
Game Prediction
Despite their game history with each other, I see the Omaha Mavericks as clear favorites to win this game. While the spread indicates that this should be a close game, don’t be surprised if the Nebraska-based team is able to pull away during the game. Although they each beat each other on each other’s home court, the Mavericks are in better overall form. However, they both beat good teams to get to this point, and they were both by one point, but what’s most encouraging is that the strength of Omaha appears to be steady even with the increase in competition.
However, the Denver Pioneers offense has been stifled since facing some of the better teams in the Summit League. Therefore, I am taking Omaha as a pick ’em tonight. Furthermore, I like the under here. Again, while the Denver offense is good and has the potential to explode, it hasn’t quite held up. Conversely, the Omaha defense looks to be secure and stable, regardless of who they play. Therefore, even if this ends up being a close game, I can see the Omaha Mavericks not only winning but severely limiting the Denver Pioneers.
Final Pick
Omaha Mavericks Pick ‘Em and Under 154
About the Author
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