They will play two twenty/20 matches, one today and one on Sunday, at Queens Park, and a 50-over match tomorrow.
Otago sits fourth in both the one-day and twenty/20 competitions, and needs other results to go its way to get into the final.
Otago coach Nathan King concedes it is still mathematically possible to make the finals but the side needs to start winning.
He said the way the competition was set up, with two twenty/20 games either side of a one-day game, meant thinking had to change very quickly.
"What we've had to learn, and this is myself included, is that you have to change your mindset pretty quickly. You play a twenty/20 game and then you've got to turn around and play a 50-over game, which is a completely different game," King said.
"That is a really fast learning curve and you've got to assess conditions as quickly as you can and plans can change very quickly."
Last year, the sides played two one-day games and one twenty/20 match and King said with more emphasis on the shorter game, many players further down the order were getting fewer chances and struggling to find form.
Otago had a weekend to forget against Wellington last weekend, losing all three games, including being unable to defend a hefty 168 in the first twenty/20 game.
"The fact is 168 would have been more than enough against most sides, but Wellington have some very good players in their side who did enough to win."
The side lost the one-day game by more than 200 runs, and King conceded the side did not show up mentally.
But all was not lost and he was confident it could get back into the winners' circle.
"We just have to play the way we played against Wellington in the twenty/20 games and we will come away with wins. Not being disrespectful to Northern Districts, but they do not have the quality of players that Wellington had."
He said the side had the odd injury niggle but, on the whole, was fit. Much still relied on Suzie Bates, Katey Martin and Sarah Tsukigawa at the top of the batting order.
Northern Districts is bottom of the twenty/20 competition and third in the one-day competition.
