NC Central vs. UC Davis Pick
Which 16 seed will pick up a cover in tonight’s First Four of the NCAA Tournament when UC Davis faces North Carolina Central at 6:40PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, North Carolina Central is favored in this game, as it is getting odds of -3.5 points against UC Davis. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 132.5 points. These two are taking part in the play-in game as part of the Midwest Region from University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.
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North Carolina Central reached the tournament by winning the MEAC Tournament. It went 25-8 on the season and covered the spread in all six lined games it was featured in. The Eagles averaged 73.3 points per game at home while allowing just 63.9 on defense this season. Patrick Cole is leading the team with 19.5 points, 7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game while Dajuan Graf adds 14.3 points and 5.2 assists per contest.
UC Davis is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Big West Tournament. The Aggies are 22-12 on the season while going 17-12-1 against the spread. UC Davis is averaging 69.4 points per game on offense this season while allowing 68.9 on defense. Brynton Lemar is leading the team with 16.1 points per game while Chima Moneke is adding 14.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per contest.
UC Davis really relies on defense, but the Aggies don’t have much of an offense. They have averaged just 59.8 points per game in their last five games. NC Central has a good defense as well, but its offense is much better more consistently. At neutral sites, the Eagles put up 79.7 points per game while allowing just 56. Look for the Eagles to grind out the win.
MARCH MADNESS PREDICTION: NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL -3.5