| MATCHUP | North Carolina Central Eagles | SC State Bulldogs |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 10-14 | 5-16 |
| Where | Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center, Orangeburg, SC | |
| When | Wednesday, February 18, 2026 | |
| Time | 08:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
South Carolina State Bulldogs Preview
The South Carolina State Bulldogs have a 6-17 overall record this season and a 4-3 record in the MEAC. They are coming off an 85-57 road loss against Howard and their previous three games were a 63-54 home win against Maryland Eastern Shore, a 70-64 home win against Delaware State and a 56-50 home win against Maryland-Eastern Shore.
Offensively, South Carolina State averages 65.4 points per game, while allowing 80.8 points per game defensively. The Bulldogs shoot with 40% from the field and grab 31.2 rebounds per game, while dishing out 11.5 assists per game. They average 3.7 blocks per game and 6.9 steals per game defensively.
Jayden Johnson leads South Carolina State in scoring, with an average of 12.9 points per game, while shooting with 44.8% from the field and 71.1% from the free throw line, also adding a team-high 3.5 assists per game. Derwin Hodge Jr. is the team’s leading rebounder with 3.2 per game.
North Carolina Central Eagles Preview
The North Carolina Central Eagles have a 9-14 overall record this season and a 5-3 record in the MEAC. They are coming off a 58-56 home loss against Coppin State and their previous three games were a 72-63 home win against Delaware State, a 75-68 road loss against Norfolk State and a 65-63 home win against Maryland Eastern Shore.
Offensively, North Carolina Central averages 72.2 points per game, while allowing 75.7 points per game defensively. The Eagles shoot with 44% from the field and grab 32.2 rebounds per game, while dishing out 14.7 assists per game. They average 3.5 blocks per game and 8.8 steals per game defensively.
Gage Lattimore leads North Carolina Central in scoring, with an average of 17.5 points per game, while shooting with 39% from the field and 89.3% from the free throw line. Khouri Carvey is the team’s leading rebounder with 6.3 per game, while Dionte Johnson leads the team in assists with 5.9 per game.
North Carolina Central Eagles @ South Carolina State Bulldogs Betting Trends: February 18, 2026
Why the South Carolina State Bulldogs will win
- South Carolina State has won each of its last 12 night games against Conference opponents.
- North Carolina Central has lost seven of its last eight games following a home win.
- South Carolina State has won the first half in each of its last six night games against Conference opponents at Smith-Hammond Middleton Memorial Center.
Why the North Carolina Central Eagles will win
- North Carolina Central has won each of its last four night games.
- South Carolina State has lost 19 of its last 25 games.
- North Carolina Central has won the first half in each of its last eight Wednesday night games against Conference opponents.
North Carolina Central vs South Carolina State Prediction
In this North Carolina Central vs South Carolina State Prediction, North Carolina Central is coming as -2 road favorites. North Carolina Central has been the better team this season but have been up and down lately, alternating wins and losses for their last seven games. On the flip side, South Carolina State is also a mediocre 5-5 in its last 10 games so I see no value on either side. Both teams are 7-2 to the under in their last 9 games combined, as South Carolina State has a bottom-20 offense in the entire nation. Take the under 141.