North Carolina Central vs SC State Prediction 3/6/25 College Basketball Picks

The North Carolina Central Eagles are visiting the South Carolina State Bulldogs on Thursday, March 6th at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a North Carolina Central Eagles vs South Carolina State Bulldogs Prediction. We will examine:

The South Carolina State Bulldogs’ recent form and player performance

The North Carolina Central Eagles’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the South Carolina State Bulldogs

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the North Carolina Central Eagles

Recent betting trends in games played between the North Carolina Central Eagles and South Carolina State Bulldogs

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the North Carolina Central Eagles vs South Carolina State Bulldogs game

South Carolina State Bulldogs Preview

The South Carolina State Bulldogs have a 17-12 record this season and are sitting in 2nd place in the MEAC. South Carolina State is coming off a 79-69 win over Howard. The Bulldogs are 17-8-1 against the spread, and 15-11 in over/under while having a 9-2 home record.

Offensively, South Carolina State is averaging 79.9 points per game, which ranks 49th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 70.9 points per game (151st). The Bulldogs shoot 47% from the field (64th) and 35.3% from beyond the arc (108th). The Bulldogs shoot 70.4% from the free-throw line (244th), and they are grabbing 35.6 rebounds per game (156th).

Drayton Jones leads South Carolina State in scoring with an average of 13.7 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds, while Omar Croskey adds 11.1 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game.

North Carolina Central Eagles Preview

The North Carolina Central Eagles have a 13-17 record this season and are sitting in 6th place in the MEAC. North Carolina Central is coming off a 91-87 win over Norfolk State. The Eagles are 11-14-1 against the spread and 17-9 in over/under while having a 2-12 road record. 

Offensively, North Carolina Central is averaging 79.4 points per game, which ranks 54th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 75 points per game (271st). The Eagles shoot 45.8% from the field (117th) and 35.2% from beyond the arc (113th). The Eagles shoot 68.3% from the free-throw line (300th) and are grabbing 34.4 rebounds per game (233rd).

Po’Boigh King leads North Carolina Central in scoring this season, with an average of 16.7 points, while Keishon Porter adds 11.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. 

Why the South Carolina State Bulldogs will win

• South Carolina State has won each of its last nine home games following a home win.
• North Carolina Central has lost each of its last seven road games.
• South Carolina State has won the first half in each of its last eight home games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the North Carolina Central Eagles will win

• South Carolina State has lost each of its last nine Thursday games.
• North Carolina Central has won 10 of its last 12 games against South Carolina State.
• North Carolina Central has won the first half in eight of its last nine road night games against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Total Points Facts

• Seven of the last eight games between North Carolina Central and South Carolina State have produced a total of 147 or fewer points.
• Each of North Carolina Central’s last six Thursday games against Conference opponents have produced a total of 147 or fewer points.

Matchup/League Facts

• South Carolina State ranks 4th among Division 1 teams for opponent turnovers per game this season (16.5).
• South Carolina State ranks 4th among Division 1 teams for free throw attempts per game this season (26.3).
• North Carolina Central ranks 7th among Division 1 teams for opponent turnovers per game this season (16.3).
• North Carolina Central ranks 8th among Division 1 teams for opponent assist-to-turnover ratio this season (0.76).

North Carolina Central Eagles vs South Carolina State Bulldogs Prediction

North Carolina Central is 8-2 in their last 10 meetings against South Carolina State, but South Carolina State is 7-3 against the spread. Under is 4-2 in their last 6 meetings, and in their previous meeting earlier this season, North Carolina Central won 82-77 at home, covering the spread, as the game went over the point total.

In this North Carolina Central Eagles vs South Carolina State Bulldogs Prediction, South Carolina State is coming as -9.5 home favorites. South Carolina State is rightfully favored, as they have a better record this season, and have been very strong at home, while North Carolina Central has been terrible on the road. SC State has been red-hot lately, having eight consecutive wins, and are 7-1-1 against the spread in their last 9 games. On the other hand, NC Central is 3-5 in their last 8 games and 3-4 against the spread. The value here lies with the home team that has been in far better form, so take the South Carolina State Bulldogs and lay the points.

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: South Carolina State Bulldogs