The North Carolina Central Eagles (11-12, 7-2 MEAC) will be at Hill Field House to square off with the Morgan State Bears (13-12, 7-3 MEAC) in a MEAC matchup. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 129 points and action gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, February 10, 2020.
North Carolina Central Eagles vs. Morgan State Bears ATS Odds
The Eagles come in on a high note after covering the 1.5-point spread against the Coppin State Eagles in their last game, 68-63. The Bears, on the other hand, defeated the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks,61-53, but were not able to cover as 10-point favorites. The North Carolina Central game went 4 points under the projected point total of 135, while the Morgan State game went 16.5 points under the projected point total of 130.5.
North Carolina Central played a nearly perfect game. They had a turnover percentage of 16.9 (better than their season average of 20.1) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 28.6 (below their season average of 28.8). For those same stats, Coppin State was 23.6 and 25.7, respectively. Meanwhile, Morgan State’s free throw rate was their largest strength over Maryland Eastern Shore. The Bears had a rate of 0.319 (above their season average of 0.263), while the Hawks posted a mark of 0.136 (below the 0.356 mark opponents have averaged against Morgan State this season). David Syfax Jr. fueled Morgan State with 15 points and six rebounds. Deven Palmer, meanwhile had a solid performance for North Carolina Central, putting up 21 points and seven rebounds.
The Eagles won the lone game between these two teams last year, 92-64. The Eagles’ offensive rebounding percentage was their largest advantage over the Bears. North Carolina Central had a rate of 29.4, while Morgan State posted a mark of 16.7. This is the first time these teams will battle this year.
Vegas is known to place the total high when the Eagles are playing, as 12 of their 20 contests have gone under the projected point total. North Carolina Central holds records of 11-12 straight up (SU) and 11-9 against the spread (ATS).
Vegas has been spot on when setting the O/U total of Bears games, with an even split between overs and unders. Moreover, Morgan State is 13-12 SU and 10-11-1 ATS.
The ineffective offense of Morgan State will face off against the top-notch defense of North Carolina Central. The Bears rank 266th in offensive efficiency, while the Eagles are 34th in defensive efficiency. The Eagles figure to have the advantage on that end of the court.
North Carolina Central Eagles vs. Morgan State Bears Betting Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Morgan State, ATS Winner – Morgan State, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Morgan State ranks 45th in rebounds per game (38.8) while North Carolina Central ranks 239th (33.3).
- The Bears rank 61st in blocks per game (4.0) while the Eagles rank 86th in blocks allowed per game (3.1).
- North Carolina Central ranks 240th in three pointers attempted per game (18.8) while Morgan State ranks 246th (18.5).
- The Eagles rank 15th in steals per game (9.0) while the Bears rank 197th (5.5).
- North Carolina Central ranks 124th in assists per game (13.5) while Morgan State ranks 225th (11.6).
- North Carolina Central is 6-9 ATS on the road, while Morgan State is 2-5 ATS at home.
- The total has gone under in 6 of the Bears’ 7 home games, while 8 of the Eagles’ 15 road games have gone under.
Bettings Trends:
- The Eagles are 4-1 ATS over their last five games, while the Bears are 2-2-1.
- In their last five games, North Carolina Central has 4 unders and 1 over, while Morgan State has 3 unders and 2 overs.
- During their last five games, the Eagles have scored an average of 67.8 points per game (0.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 58.6 points per game (6.0 below their season average).
- The Bears have outscored opponents by an average of 3.2 points in their last five games. For the season, Morgan State has been defeated by an average of 0.5 points.
