Betsided

Longwood vs. Winthrop Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Big South Quarterfinal (Ride With the Lancers)

College basketball betting preview, prediction and best bet for Longwood-Winthrop. 

By Shelby Dermer

Dec 10, 2022; Wichita, Kansas, USA; Longwood Lancers forward Michael Christmas (25) tries to drive to the basket.
Dec 10, 2022; Wichita, Kansas, USA; Longwood Lancers forward Michael Christmas (25) tries to drive to the basket. / William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

The third edition of Longwood-Winthrop goes down at the Qubein Center Friday afternoon in a matchup of two equal teams that split a pair of regular-season matchups. Winthrop dropped three of its final four games to end the regular season while Longwood won four of six. 

Longwood is a short favorite as they try to make a run to a Big South Tournament Championship for its second NCAA Tournament berth in three years.

Winthrop is in the same boat, having last made the NCAA Tournament in 2021. Here’s the betting breakdown of Friday’s matinee matchup with a best bet. 

If you’re looking to bet on any NCAA game tonight, FanDuel Sportsbook has an amazing promotional offer. New users who sign up with the link below and wager $5 will receive $150 in bonus bets if their first bet wins.

Sign up for FanDuel now!

Longwood vs. Winthrop Odds, Spread and Total

Longwood vs. Winthrop Betting Trends

  • Longwood is 13-15 ATS this season
  • Winthrop is 12-16 ATS this season
  • Longwood is 10-10 ATS as a favorite this season
  • Winthrop is 4-5 ATS as an underdog this season
  • The OVER is 15-13 in Longwood games this season
  • The OVER is 15-13 in Winthrop games this season

Longwood vs. Winthrop How to Watch

  • Date: Friday, March 8
  • Game time: 2 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Qubein Center
  • How to watch (TV): ESPN+
  • Longwood record: 18-13
  • Winthrop record: 17-14

Longwood vs. Winthrop Key Players to Watch

Longwood

Michael Christmas: The forward leads Longwood in rebounding (6.3 per game) and is one of four players grabbing over 4.5 rebounds a night. The 6-foot-6 senior also scores 11.5 points per night. He had scored in double figures in six consecutive games, but struggled from the field over his last two outings, combining for just 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting (1-of-7 from beyond the arc).

Winthrop 

Kelton Talford: The forward is a stat-stuffer for the Eagles as the team’s leading scorer (14.3) and rebounder (5.6) while shooting 62.3% from the field. Talford has finished two rebounds shy of a double-double in four of the last five games and combined for 33 points in two matchups with Longwood this season. 

Longwood vs. Winthrop Prediction and Pick 

Longwood is led by its defense as the Lancers’ offense has not been efficient this season. Longwood is No. 209 in offensive efficiency, but are below average in most shooting metrics, ranking No. 250 in two-point field goals and No. 225 from beyond the arc and No. 254 in effective field goal percentage. 

Longwood does clean up on the boards, though. They rank No. 12 in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage and Winthrop gives up the third-most offensive rebounds per game in the Big South (11.1) and ranks No. 324 in permitting second-chance opportunities.

That could play a big role in this matchup as Longwood was able to use 12 offensive rebounds to shoot 50.9% in an 84-74 win over Winthrop Feb. 10. 

Speaking of advantages, Winthrop relies heavily on drawing fouls. The Eagles are No. 81 in the nation in 2-point shooting, but score 25.5% of their points at the charity stripe, the second-highest rate in the country. Longwood only allows 19.8% of its points at the free-throw line, which is among the top half in the nation, according to KenPom.

Longwood has momentum to end the regular season and Winthrop is coming off a slide. The Lancers use their solid play over the final stretch of regular season to get the win on Friday. 

Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.

Home/College Basketball Predictions and Picks