North Carolina Central Eagles vs Morgan State Bears NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/7/25
Looking to win big? The Eagles and Bears face off at 4:00 ET on ESPN+. The Bears are hosting the game at Hill Field House in Baltimore, MD. North Carolina Central is favored by -3.5 in this Mid-Eastern conference showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 154.5 points.
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL EAGLES VS MORGAN STATE BEARS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Morgan State Bears +3.5
This game will be played at Hill Field House at 4:00 ET on Tuesday, January 7th.
WHY BET THE MORGAN STATE BEARS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-70 in favor of the Bears.
- Not only will Morgan State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +3.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 154.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.
Does North Carolina Central Stand a Chance on the Road?
North Carolina Central’s season continued to be a struggle, as they fell to 3-11 after a 63-61 road loss to Coppin State on Saturday. Entering the game as -8.5 favorites, the Eagles not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.
Despite leading 30-23 at halftime, NC Central allowed 40 points in the second half while scoring 31. The game’s total points of 124 fell short of the 139.5 O/U line.
North Carolina Central struggled from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting just 1 of 15 three-point attempts for a 6.7% shooting percentage. Despite their perimeter struggles, they shot 57.9% on two-point attempts, finishing with an overall field goal percentage of 43.4% and an effective field goal percentage of 45.3%.
The Eagles scored 61 points, with Po’Boigh King leading the way with 18 points, though he missed all 5 of his three-point attempts. Camaren Sparrow was the lone bright spot from deep, hitting 4 of 5 threes and dishing out 5 assists, while Toby Nnadozie also contributed 5 assists and 11 points.
North Carolina Central’s defense held their opponent to 63 points on 42% shooting from the field. They were particularly effective inside, limiting two-point attempts to 11/29, or 37%.
From beyond the arc, their opponent shot 50%, hitting 9 of 18 threes. At the free-throw line, they went 14/21, or 66%. North Carolina Central also gave up 7 offensive rebounds.
Can the Bears Grab a Win at Home?
Morgan State’s season continued to be a struggle as they fell to 2-11 after an 86-72 loss to South Carolina State on Saturday. The Bears were +5.5 point underdogs at home and didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 158 exceeded the O/U line of 154.5.
Trailing 46-37 at halftime, Morgan State couldn’t close the gap in the second half, scoring 35 points while allowing 40.
In their last game, Morgan State’s offense was led by Kameron Hobbs, who scored 22 points, and Drayton Jones, who added 20. Davion Everett contributed 18 points, shooting 75% from the field, while Omar Croskey chipped in 17 points, hitting 2 of 4 from beyond the arc.
The Bears shot 53.1% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 57.1%. They connected on 41.7% of their three-point attempts, going 5 for 12, and struggled at the free-throw line, hitting just 57.7% of their 26 attempts. Morgan State finished with 14 assists and 6 offensive rebounds in the game.
Even with Morgan State giving up 86 points, the Bears couldn’t capitalize defensively, allowing their opponent to shoot 53% from the field. The Bears struggled to contain two-point attempts, with their opponent hitting 56% of their shots inside the arc.
From three-point range, Morgan State’s defense allowed 5 threes on 12 attempts, a 41% shooting performance. The Bears also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 26 times, where they converted 15 for 57%.