North Dakota State Bison vs. Butler Bulldogs Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 10th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Following the end of their six-game winning streak this past weekend, Butler is scheduled to host North Dakota State on Tuesday night in Indianapolis.

The Bulldogs (7-2) recently suffered a 79-51 defeat on the road against then-No. 17 Houston. They struggled offensively, only scoring 18 points in the first half against the defensively strong Cougars. In the second half, their opponent managed to score 51 points.

Patrick McCaffery and Augusto Cassia both contributed 11 points for Butler, but their team only shot 28.3 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from beyond the arc.

After the game, Butler coach Thad Matta expressed his disappointment to the Indianapolis Star, stating, "It wasn't a chaotic or frenzied atmosphere. They simply prevented us from executing our game plan. We couldn't find our rhythm on offense and it quickly spiraled out of control. Their players started making shots and it became contagious."

Tuesday's game will serve as a valuable opportunity for Butler to prepare for a challenging stretch of games ahead. They will face off against No. 20 Wisconsin, No. 6 Marquette, and No. 18 UConn in succession over the course of eight days, starting on Saturday.

North Dakota State (7-4) is currently riding a four-game winning streak, most recently defeating Northern Colorado 82-70 at home on Saturday.

Jacksen Moni led the way for the Bison with 18 points and seven rebounds, while five other players scored in double figures. This includes Brennan Watkins, who contributed 11 points and seven rebounds.

According to Bison coach David Richman, "We have the potential to achieve something great, but we need to focus on each and every moment. It's clear that with Jacksen leading the way, we have a strong basketball team."

Jacari White is currently the leading scorer for NDSU, averaging 17.0 points per game. Moni follows closely behind with an average of 16.0 points per game.

For Butler, Jahmyl Telfort leads the team with an average of 16.3 points and three assists per game. However, in their recent loss to Houston, he was limited to just four points on 1-of-5 shooting and committed five turnovers.

This will be the first ever meeting between these two programs. However, North Dakota State is no stranger to the Big East, having faced off against Creighton three times, as well as Marquette and Xavier since 2016.

PREDICTION

North Dakota State Bison

Butler Bulldogs