The Florida International Panthers and North Dakota Fighting Hawks will meet on the basketball court for the first time ever on Wednesday, November 24 at FIU Arena in Miami. The Panthers (4-1) have won four straight after an opening loss to Georgia, and they outlasted UNC-Greensboro for a 74-71 overtime victory on Sunday. North Dakota (2-3) has lost two in a row, including a 77-72 setback to Tennessee Martin on Sunday. Each team has made the NCAA Tournament once — FIU in 1995 and North Dakota in 2017.
Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. ET. The Panthers are the 11.5-point favorite in the latest FIU vs. North Dakota college basketball odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the Over-Under is set at 142.5. Before locking in any North Dakota vs. Florida International picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has broken down North Dakota vs. Florida International from every angle and just released its coveted CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the CBB odds and betting lines for Florida International vs. North Dakota:
- North Dakota vs. FIU: Panthers -11.5
- North Dakota vs. FIU over-under: 142.5 points
- UND: It is 12-18 ATS since the start of last season
- FIU: It is 8-16-2 ATS since the start of last season
Why the Panthers can cover
FIU is 4-3-2 against the spread in non-conference games the past two years, and it is averaging 80 points on its four-game win streak. That includes a win against Division III Trinity, but 12 players got at least 12 minutes in that game. It also has beaten Ball State and Green Bay, and three Panthers are scoring in double figures, led by Tevin Brewer (16.6 points per game). Brewer is hitting 51.7 percent (15-of-29) of his three-point attempts and averages 4.8 assists.
The Panthers have youth and depth, with freshman Denver Jones (11.2 points, 4.4 assists) among those making an immediate impact. Sophomore Javaunte Hawkins scored 15 Sunday in place of Daniel Parrish, who had 15 points in his only game. Clevon Brown had a game-high 18 points Sunday, and Brewer and Jones had 14 apiece. Brown is the leading rebounder (5.4) and blocks 2.2 shots per game, while Brewer has a team-high 22 defensive boards. The Panthers average 8.2 steals per game.
Why the Fighting Hawks can cover
North Dakota is 2-3 ATS this season, but it has been improving since coach Paul Sather took over in 2019. The Fighting Hawks went 15-18 in his first season and 9-17 in his second, but they went 8-8 in the Summit League after going 7-9 in 2019-20. Three different players have led the team in scoring in its five games, including Paul Bruns, who scored 13 in his first game. The freshman is averaging eight points and is one of seven players scoring at least five per game.
Caleb Nero is the leading scorer at 15.8 points per game in addition to averaging 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists, while Mitchell Sueker chips in 13.2 points. Sueker has been sneaky good from outside, hitting five of 12 three-pointers (41.7 percent). The Fighting Hawks haven’t been shooting well, but guard Matt Norman is knocking down shots at a 42.3 percent rate from beyond the arc (11-of-26). Tsotne Tsartsidze has been relentless on the boards, pulling down 6.2 rebounds per game, with 15 of his 31 on the offensive end.
How to make North Dakota vs. FIU picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the point total, with the model suggesting nine players will score at least seven points. It also says one side of the spread holds all the value. You can only get the model’s FIU vs. North Dakota pick at SportsLine.
So who wins North Dakota vs. FIU on Wednesday? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of FIU vs. North Dakota to back Wednesday, all from the advanced model up almost $2,100 on its top-rated college basketball picks over the past five seasons, and find out.
