Check out our free North Carolina Central vs Norfolk State pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Norfolk. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.

North Carolina Central vs Norfolk State Pick & Preview: Monday, January 30th Betting Odds

Eagles vs Spartans Matchup at a Glance

  • Sport: NCAAB
  • Teams: North Carolina Central Eagles at Norfolk State Spartans
  • Where: Norfolk at Echols Hall
  • Date: Monday, January 30th
  • Betting Odds: North Carolina Central +5.5, NCC +193 | NORFST -243 O/U 140.0

Eagles Preview:

Heading into today’s matchup vs Norfolk State, the North Carolina Central Eagles will be taking the floor for the 21st time this season and have an overall record of 10-10. On the road, the Eagles will be playing their 10th game of the season, having gone 1-9. So far, the Eagles have been the underdog 11 times, going 2-9 straight up. Heading into today’s contest, they are the +5.5 underdogs on the spread.

North Carolina Central’s leading scorer this season is Justin Wright, who is averaging 15.45 points per contest. So far, Wright has accounted for 19.97% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 4.35 rebounds per game and 2.15 assists. Brendan Medley-Bacon is the second leading scorer for the Eagles, averaging 11.25 points per game. Between him and Medley-Bacon, they are accounting for 34.5% of the team’s scoring.

Offensive production has been hard to come by for North Carolina Central this season, as they are currently ranked 155th in college basketball at 72.8 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 Eagles’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 33.5%, placing them 284th in the NCAA.

Spartans Preview:

Heading into today’s matchup vs North Carolina Central, the Norfolk State Spartans will be taking the floor for the 22nd time this season and have an overall record of 14-7. So far this season, Norfolk State has played 11 games at home, sitting with a record of 10-1. The Spartans’ are sitting with a betting line that is -5.5 points in their favor. For the season, Norfolk State has been favored to win in 12 games, sitting with a mark of 10-2.

Norfolk State will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Joe Bryant Jr. who is averaging 16.9 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 70.3% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 14.1 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 21 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: North Carolina Central Eagles +5.5

After running our analysis on this game, we’ve identified the best side to take on the spread. Currently, the oddsmakers have Norfolk State as the favorites with a line coming in at -5.5. However, based on how these team’s matchup, we see this number being too high and like the North Carolina Central Eagles to cover. Both team’s have knocked down the 3-point shot at a rate similar to the NCAA average this season with Norfolk State at 7.03 made 3’s per game compared to North Carolina Central at 7.06. Look for North Carolina Central to put together a strong enough defensive effort to cover the spread vs the Spartans.