NC Central vs. Norfolk State Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Monday, Feb. 19 (Take the Eagles)
First place in the MEAC is on the line at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall on Monday when NC Central visits Norfolk State.
Norfolk State is in first place in the league, but there’s a three-way tie for second between NC Central, Howard, and Morgan State. NC Central, which owns a two-point win over Norfolk State already this season, has lost its last two games and is coming off a 90-82 loss to Howard on the road. Norfolk State has won six of its last seven games after pulling out an overtime victory over South Carolina State on Saturday.
Here’s the betting preview for Monday’s matchup with a best bet.
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NC Central vs. Norfolk State odds, spread and total
NC Central vs. Norfolk State betting trends
- NC Central is 12-7 ATS this season
- Norfolk State is 9-12 ATS this season
- NC Central is 6-4 ATS as an underdog this season
- Norfolk State is 2-6 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 9-10 in NC Central games this season
- The OVER is 7-14 in Norfolk State games this season
NC Central vs. Norfolk State how to watch
- Date: Monday, Feb. 19
- Game time: 9 p.m. EST
- Venue: Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall
- How to watch (TV): ESPNU
- NC Central record: 13-10 (5-3 MEAC)
- Norfolk State record: 16-9 (6-2 MEAC)
NC Central vs. Norfolk State key players to watch
NC Central
Ja’Darius Harris: The 6-foot-2 senior guard is fourth in the MEAC in scoring at 15.8 points per game and is part of an excellent backcourt tandem with Fred Cleveland Jr., who is sixth in the league in scoring (15.1). Harris scored 20-plus points in four of five games before being held to single digits in back-to-back games. He scored 18 in Saturday’s win over Howard, but the majority of his points came from a 10-of-13 performance at the free-throw line. Harris is just 10-of-37 from the field over the last three games and 0-of-11 from 3-point range.
Norfolk State
Jamarii Thomas: The junior guard leads the MEAC in scoring at 17.2 points per game and has been great getting to the free-throw line. Thomas shoots just 41.3% from the field, but he leads the MEAC in free-throw attempts per game (7.7) and shoots 82.2% from the charity stripe. Thomas is also second in the league in assists (3.6) and tied for first in steals (2.2).
NC Central vs. Norfolk State prediction and pick
These two teams engaged in a defensive slugfest earlier this season with NC Central pulling out a 60-58 win on Jan. 8. In that matchup, both teams shot less than 36% from the field and combined to go 7-of-43 from downtown. Thirty-three points were on free throws alone. It’s shaping up to be a similar matchup on Monday.
Both of these teams are led by slightly below-average defenses while the offenses struggle. This is a matchup of the two defensive scoring leaders in the MEAC with Norfolk State giving up just 67.4 points per game and NC Central allowing 67.7. On the offensive end, NC Central is No. 287 in KenPom and Norfolk State is No. 265.
Both of these offenses rely heavily on free throws. NC Central is No. 315 in the nation in 3-point shooting and No. 239 from inside the arc. Norfolk State is No. 299 in effective field goal percentage and struggles to protect the rock. The Spartans are No. 308 in turnover percentage and NC Central is above-average (No. 115) at creating takeaways and No. 106 in steal percentage. Norfolk State is just 2-6 ATS as a favorite this season and 1-5 ATS as a home favorite. The Spartans just don’t have the offense to win with margin, especially against a defensive-minded NC Central squad looking to climb into first place. In a projected low-scoring bout, take the points.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.