Longwood Lancers vs North Carolina Central Eagles NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/20/24

Planning on watching today’s Lancers and Eagles game? Catch the action at McDougald-McLendon Arena in Durham, NC, as the Eagles hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. In this non-conference matchup, Longwood is favored by -3.5 against North Carolina Central. The over/under for the game is 145.5 points.

LONGWOOD LANCERS VS NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL EAGLES BETTING PICK

The Pick: North Carolina Central Eagles +3.5

This game will be played at McDougald-McLendon Arena at 7:00 ET on Friday, December 20th.

WHY BET THE NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL EAGLES:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-71 in favor of the Eagles.
• Not only will North Carolina Central pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +3.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 145.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 146 points.

Pressure Builds for Longwood as Away Favorites

Longwood Lancers Recent Game/Games

Longwood improved to 7-3 on the season with a 77-55 road win over Campbell on Wednesday, December 18th. Entering the game as 3-point favorites, the Lancers covered the spread, but the combined points of 132 fell short of the O/U line of 142.5.

Longwood took control early, leading 34-20 at halftime. They scored 43 points in the 2nd half while allowing 35, maintaining their lead and securing the win.

Longwood’s offense put up 77 points in their last game, shooting 45.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52.5%. They connected on 56.8% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 29.2% of their threes (7/24). At the free-throw line, they were solid, making 14 of 18 attempts for a 77.8% success rate.

The Lancers grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and dished out 17 assists. Colby Duggan and Johan Nziemi both contributed 13 points, with Duggan hitting 4 of 5 threes. Michael Christmas and Colby Garland each added 11 points, with Garland also handing out 6 assists.

Longwood’s defense was solid, holding their opponent to just 55 points on 33% shooting from the field. They limited two-point opportunities effectively, with the opposing team making only 9 of 27 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Longwood allowed 6 threes on 18 attempts, a 33% shooting rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 19, shooting 70%. Longwood gave up 7 offensive rebounds.

Will the Eagles Defense Show Up at Home?

North Carolina Central Eagles Recent Game/Games

North Carolina Central improved to 3-8 on the season with a 77-70 road win over Longwood on Saturday. The Eagles entered the game as +8 point underdogs but covered the spread with the victory.

After a 34-34 tie at halftime, NCCU outscored Longwood 43-36 in the second half. The total points for the game were 147, surpassing the over/under line of 144.5.

North Carolina Central’s offense was clicking in their last game, as they shot 54.7% from the field and posted an effective field goal percentage of 60.4%. They connected on 59% of their two-point attempts and hit 42.9% from beyond the arc, going 6-for-14 from three-point range.

Keishon Porter led the way with 20 points in just 19 minutes, shooting 8-for-9 from the field. Po’Boigh King added 16 points, hitting 3-of-6 from deep, while Colby Garland contributed 15 points and 6 assists. The Eagles also grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and finished with 16 assists as a team.

North Carolina Central’s defense couldn’t slow down their opponent, giving up 70 points on 51% shooting. They struggled to defend inside, allowing 67% shooting on two-point attempts.

From beyond the arc, they held their opponent to 28% shooting, with 6 made threes. They sent the other team to the line 23 times, where they hit 14 free throws. The Eagles gave up 8 offensive rebounds.