North Carolina Central vs. South Carolina State Best Bet and Prediction for Thursday, March 7
By Joe Summers
The North Carolina Central Eagles (16-12) conclude their regular season with a rivalry showdown against the South Carolina State Bulldogs (14-16) Thursday night at 7:30 PM EST.
NC Central is one game behind a tie for second in the Mid-Eastern Conference and can tie SC State with a victory this evening. The Eagles fell by three points to the Bulldogs in January, but are 8-2 overall against in the last 10 meetings between these teams.
Can the Eagles cover as big home favorites on senior night or will the Bulldogs play spoiler and ruin the fun? Let's take a look at the odds and break down the matchup below, though first be sure you've pre-registered for North Carolina sports betting at FanDuel Sportsbook!
If you sign up now, you'll get $100 in bonus bets automatically on March 11 when sports betting goes live. After launch, you can bet $5 or more (with a $10 deposit) to get an additional $200 in bonus bets win or lose. Sign up for FanDuel now, then let's jump into tonight's contest.
North Carolina Central vs. South Carolina State Odds, Spread and Total
North Carolina Central vs. South Carolina State Best Bet and Prediction
NC Central is a strong 6.5-point home favorite with -325 odds on the moneyline and a total set at 143.5. This is a fascinating matchup between two streaking teams, as the Eagles are 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last five while the Bulldogs are 5-2 ATS in their last seven. The over hit in each of the seven games for NC State but the under hit in the previous seven for SC Central.
With conflicting trends, where should bettors look for value? In a tough senior night battle between two teams very familiar with each other, I'm looking to the under. It's hit in four straight matchups between these teams and I see a similar result unfolding tonight.
The Eagles have the seventh-best three-point defense in the country (29.4%) but rank 225th in effective field goal percentage (49.7%). Defense is their strong suit, though they get to the free throw line at a top-25 rate nationally (40%).
On the other side, the Bulldogs significantly struggle offensively themselves. They rank 334th in effective field goal percentage (45.9%) and rely on offensive rebounds to generate points. I expect a slow pace dictated by defensive pressure, and I'm backing the under as a result.
It's 11-1 in SC State's previous 12 games and their poor offense should dictate a low-scoring result.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.