Central Connecticut vs Wagner Prediction 1/29/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Central Connecticut Blue Devils and the Wagner Seahawks will meet on Thursday night in an NEC matchup at the Spiro Sports Center in Staten Island, New York.

Central Connecticut Blue Devils Betting Preview

The Central Connecticut Blue Devils enter Thursday evening’s matchup with a 10–9 overall win‑loss record, including a 4–4 mark in conference play and a 5–7 record on the road. The Blue Devils have compiled wins over St. Francis, Stonehill, New Haven and Sacred Heart, while dropping recent games to Long Island, Fairfield and the Seton Hall Pirates. More recently, in the Central Connecticut Blue Devils 98–90 victory over the St. Francis Red Flash earlier this month, Central Connecticut forward Darin Smith Jr. tallied 34 points (10 of 14 shooting from the field: 4 of 4 shooting from three-point range), 9 rebounds and 2 assists showcasing his ability to lead the Blue Devils frontcourt.  

The Central Connecticut Blue Devils are averaging 71.2 points on 45.1 percent shooting from the field and 37.2 percent shooting from three‑point range (35th in nation) per game. Shifting our focus to the defensive side of the basketball, the Blue Devils are allowing opponents 73.8 points per contest.

Sophomore forward Darin Smith Jr. leads the Central Connecticut Blue Devils averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Junior forward Max Frazier contributes 11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per contest, while senior guard Jay Rodgers adds 11.7 points and 7.6 assists per game.

Wagner Seahawks Betting Preview

The Wagner Seahawks enter Thursday’s contest with a 6–12 record, including a 1–6 mark in conference play and a 4–3 record at home. The Seahawks have amassed recent wins over Chicago State, Manor, Bloomfield and Manhattan, while losing games to Le Moyne, Fairleigh Dickinson, Stonehill and the Maryland Terrapins. In the Wagner Seahawks 79-72 win over the Chicago State Cougars three weeks ago, Wagner guard Nick Jones tallied 17 points (6 of 13 shooting from the field), 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals illustrating his ability to play at a high level.

Wagner is averaging 70.9 points on 43.1 percent shooting from the field and 39.5 percent shooting from three‑point range (9th in nation) per game. Defensively, the Seahawks are allowing opponents 76.7 points per contest.

Junior guard Nick Jones leads the Wagner Seahawks averaging 14.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals on 41.5 percent shooting from the field per game. Forward Binael Basil provides the Seahawks a strong interior presence averaging 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 offensive boards per game. Guard Eduardo Placer adds 9.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest.

Why the Central Connecticut Blue Devils Will Win

• Frontcourt play. Sophomore forward Darin Smith Jr. leads the Blue Devils frontcourt averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest.

• Defensive edge. The Central Connecticut Blue Devils are allowing opponents 73.8 points per game. Conversely, the Seahawks are allowing 76.7 points per contest.

• Enhanced motivation. The Blue Devils enter tomorrow’s game on the heels of a three-game losing streak. Clearly, Central Connecticut needs to start stacking wins if they want to play in the postseason.

Why the Wagner Seahawks Will Win

• Home court edge. The Wagner Seahawks are 4–3 at home this season.

• Quality perimeter shooting. The Wagner Seahawks are averaging 39.5 percent shooting from three-point range per game which ranks 9th in the nation.

• Interior presence. Forward Binael Basil averages 8.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Central Connecticut vs. Wagner Prediction

This matchup features Central Connecticut’s scoring balance, perimeter efficiency and backcourt strength against a Wagner team that has been competitive at home, shot exceptionally well from three-point range and has been strong on the offensive glass in 2025. I think this will be a close contest that will be decided in the final minutes. I like Wagner’s home court edge to be the difference here. With that said, I am backing the Wagner Seahawks to win this game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Wagner Seahawks TBA