Hampton Pirates vs Charleston Cougars NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/2/25

Betting on today’s Pirates and Cougars game? Catch the action at TD Arena in Charleston, SC, as the Cougars hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on FloC. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 148.5 points, and Charleston is favored by -9.5 to win at home against Hampton.

HAMPTON PIRATES VS CHARLESTON COUGARS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Hampton Pirates +9.5

This game will be played at TD Arena at 7:00 ET on Thursday, January 2nd.

WHY BET THE HAMPTON PIRATES:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-69 in favor of the Cougars.
• Even though we have Charleston winning straight-up, we like Hampton at +9.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 148.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.

Is an Upset Waiting to Happen on the Road?

Hampton Pirates Recent Game/Games

Hampton improved to 5-5 on the season with an 83-67 win over Howard on Saturday, December 28th. The Pirates, who were -4 favorites, covered the spread and the game’s total points of 150 went over the O/U line of 144.5.

After leading 31-23 at halftime, Hampton’s offense exploded for 52 points in the 2nd half, while allowing 44 points to Howard.

Hampton put up 83 points in their last game, shooting 47.2% from the field and hitting 41.9% from three-point range, connecting on 13 of 31 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 60.4%, and they also shot 83.3% from the free-throw line, making 20 of 24 attempts.

Blake Harper led the way with 34 points, shooting 55.6% overall and 66.7% from deep. The Pirates dished out 19 assists, with Noah Farrakhan contributing 7 assists along with 17 points. Kyrese Mullen added 9 rebounds and hit 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.

Despite giving up 67 points, Hampton’s defense struggled to contain their opponent, who shot 47% from the field, including 54% on two-point attempts. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 20 free throws at an 83% rate.

From beyond the arc, Hampton allowed 13 threes on 31 attempts, with their opponent shooting 41% from three-point range. The Pirates also gave up 13 offensive rebounds in the game.

Is a Home Win Possible for the Cougars?

Charleston Cougars Recent Game/Games

Charleston improved to 9-3 on the season with an 84-81 road win over Charlotte on Wednesday. Despite being -5.5 favorites, the Cougars didn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total points of 165 exceeded the O/U line of 148.5.

Charleston led 46-31 at halftime but allowed 50 points in the 2nd half while scoring 38 themselves, making the game closer than expected.

Charleston put up 84 points in their last game, shooting 46.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 53.2%. They were strong inside, hitting 61.8% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, making just 28.6% of their threes (8/28).

Ante Brzovic led the way with 32 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 72.2% from the field. Jaehshon Thomas added 23 points, hitting 4 of 8 from three, while AJ Smith contributed 17 points, connecting on 50% of his threes (2/4).

Even with Charleston allowing 81 points, they held the opposing team to just 39% shooting from the field. The Cougars gave up 19 two-pointers on 36 attempts, a 52% success rate for their opponents.

From beyond the arc, Charleston’s defense limited the other team to 22% shooting, with just 6 made threes on 27 attempts. The Cougars also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 33 times, where they converted 25, shooting 75%.