Check out our free Hampton vs Norfolk State pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Newark. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Hampton vs Norfolk State Pick & Preview: Saturday, February 4th Betting Odds
Pirates vs Spartans Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Hampton Pirates at Norfolk State Spartans
- Where: Newark at Prudential Center
- Date: Saturday, February 4th
- Betting Odds: Hampton +10, HAMP +397 | NORFST -561 O/U 144.0
Pirates Preview:
Hampton heads into this matchup having played 23 games and have an overall record sitting at 6-17. On the road, the Pirates will be playing their 11th game of the season, having gone 1-10. So far, the Pirates have been the underdog 21 times, going 5-16 straight up. Heading into today’s contest, they are the +10 underdogs on the spread.
Hampton’s leading scorer this season is Jordan Nesbitt, who is averaging 15.09 points per contest. So far, Nesbitt has accounted for 22.22% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 6.7 rebounds per game and 3.13 assists. Russel Dean is the second leading scorer for the Pirates, averaging 12.87 points per game. Between him and Dean, they are accounting for 41.2% of the team’s scoring.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for Hampton this season, as they are currently ranked 386th in college basketball at 64.8 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Pirates’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 29.3%, placing them 488th in the NCAA.
Spartans Preview:
The Norfolk State Spartans will be looking to pick up their 23rd win of the season and are in the middle of a 2 game win streak. Currently, the Spartans have been the home team 12 times, sitting with a record of 11-1. The Spartans’ are sitting with a betting line that is -10 points in their favor. For the season, Norfolk State has been favored to win in 13 games, sitting with a mark of 11-2.
Norfolk State will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Joe Bryant Jr. who is averaging 16.95 points per game for the Spartans. Jr. is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Spartans’ offensive game plan is the play of Kris Bankston who has hit 68.6% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 13.62 points per game.
On offense, Norfolk State is scoring a rate similar to the NCAA average at 75.1 points per game. This figure has come despite struggling to knock down shots from outside. Through 22 games, they have only hit 34.8% of their 3-point field goal attempts. For the season, 35.5% of their shots have come from beyond the arc.
Free Spread Prediction: Hampton Pirates +10
After anlayzing this matchup, we like the fact that Norfolk State comes into this game looking to get out and run, as they are one of the faster paced teams in college basketball. This should present a significant mismatch against a Hampton Pirates unit that is much more comfortable slowing the game down. Even with a large spread sitting at -10, look for an increased number of possessions to help the Spartans’ cause as they cruise to an easy win. Our recommendation is to jump on Norfolk State to not only come out on top but cover the spread over Hampton.
