North Carolina Central vs. North Dakota State 3/20/19, Predictions & Odds

NC Central vs. North Dakota St. Prediction

Which 16 seed will grab a cover in tonight’s First Four when North Dakota State faces North Carolina Central in the NCAA Tournament tonight at 6:40PM ET?

Game Snapshot & Odds

715 North Carolina Central vs. 716 North Dakota State

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

6:40PM ET – University of Dayton Arena

TV: TRUTV

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Public Betting Trends

According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, North Dakota State is the favorite in this game, as the Bison are getting odds of -5 points against NC Central. The over/under total is listed at 132.5 points. The public betting currently has 66 percent going on North Dakota State as the favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.

NC Central wins MEAC

North Carolina Central is coming off three wins in the MEAC Tournament to claim the automatic bid into the tournament. The Eagles have won six of their last seven while going 7-1-2 against the spread in their last 10. NC Central is 18-15 overall, 4-1 on a neutral floor, 17-11-2 against the spread and 17-13 with the under.

The Eagles are a strong defensive team, giving up just 66.3 points per game while opponents shoot 43.4 percent against them. Offensively, NC Central is putting up 71.4 points per game while shooting 45.6 percent as a team. Raasean Davis is leading the team with 14.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while Jibri Blount is adding 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest.

Bison take Summit

North Dakota State was able to win the Summit League Tournament in order to gain the automatic bid. The Bison have won their last four, but are just 3-3 against the spread in their last six. ND State is 18-15 on the season, 4-3 on a neutral floor, 14-15-2 against the spread and 19-11 with the over.

The Bison are averaging 73.2 points per game this season while shooting 45.6 percent as a team. Defensively, North Dakota State is giving up 72.2 points per game while allowing opponents to shoot 46.1 percent against them. Vinnie Shahid is averaging 12.8 points per game to lead the team while Tyson Ward is adding 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest.

College Basketball Betting Trends

North Carolina Central

The Eagles are 18-7-1 against the spread in their last 26 games on a neutral floor and 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games against a winning team.

North Dakota State

North Dakota State is 6-1-1 against the spread following a win, but just 10-26-1 against the spread in their last 37 non-conference games.

Prediction:

Both teams are just 18-15 overall, so they have experienced their fair share of losing. The key here will be caliber of opponents and I think the Summit League provides more of a consistent challenge than the MEAC. North Dakota State ranks over 100 spots better than NC Central in the Kenpom rankings as well. I think the Bison will just have too much for the Eagles tonight.

College Basketball Prediction: North Dakota State -5