MEAC Tournament Preview: Prediction, Bracket, Odds, Standings and Schedule

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament gets going Wednesday afternoon. While the tournament features only eight teams, the competition for the tournament crown won’t suffer in the least.

Norfolk State is the clear favorite at -200 but they are no shoo-in to win with Howard and North Carolina Central gunning for them. The Spartans won the tournament last year and earned the No. 1 seed after finishing 12-2 in the MEAC and 21-6 overall. They open with a gimme game against 0-14 Delaware State. What follows is all the information you will need to know to watch, bet, and beat the MEAC Tournament. Let’s start with the current odds at WynnBET Sportsbook. 

MEAC Conference Tournament Odds

• Norfolk State -200
• Howard +400
• North Carolina Central +900
• Morgan State +1200
• Coppin State +2200
• South Carolina State +2500
• Maryland-Eastern Shore +2500
• Delaware State +50000

MEAC Conference Tournament Standings and Bracket

Here is a breakdown of the standing and bracket heading into the MEAC Conference Tournament: 

MEAC Conference Tournament Schedule (Dates, Times, Channel)

The MEAC Tournament tips off on March 9 and runs through March 12 when the championship game is played. The entire tournament can be streamed on ESPN+. The Semifinal game is on ESPN2 and the Final Match will air on ESPNU and ESPN. The schedule for each round of the tournament is as follows with times listed in CT: 

Wednesday, March 9, 2022 - MEAC Tournament Opening Round

• 5:00 pm:  No. 1 Norfolk State vs. No. 8 Delaware State - GAME 1
• 7:00 pm: No. 2 Howard vs. No. 7 Coppin State - GAME 2

Thursday, March 10, 2022 - MEAC Tournament Quarterfinals

• 5:00 pm: No. 4 Morgan State vs. No. 5 South Carolina State - GAME 3
• 7:00 pm: No. 3 North Carolina Central vs. No. 6 Maryland Eastern Shore - GAME 4

Friday, March 11, 2022 - MEAC Tournament Semifinals

• 5:00 pm: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 3 - GAME 5
• 7:00 pm: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4 - GAME 6

Saturday, March 12, 2022 - MEAC Tournament Final

• 2:30 pm: - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 - GAME 7

MEAC Conference Tournament Prediction and Pick

As far as recommending a winner, there is a clear choice here in Norfolk State. While there are several conference tournaments that I plan to fade the favorites, this is not one of them. The Spartans finished the year as the highest-ranked MEAC team in the KenPom rankings at 156th and led the conference in adjusted offensive efficiency and adjusted defensive efficiency.

The price on Norfolk at -200 is not the best value during tournament play. But, they might be one of the more sure things to come through. 

Lean: Norfolk State (-200)

MEAC Conference Tournament Dark Horse

I am going to skip right past Howard after losing twice to the Spartans already this year and focus on the North Carolina Central Eagles at +900. Their offense is led by first-team ALL-MEAC guard Justin Wright who averaged more than 20 points per game in conference play. They have the third-best ADjo in the conference and rank 287th overall on the KenPom rankings. But, perhaps most importantly, the Eagles were one of two MEAC teams to beat Norfolk State this year. They also played Howard very close in a loss. At the price they are getting, I think they deserve a little love on a futures wager. 

Lean: North Carolina Central (+900)