Who’s Playing
Bethune-Cookman @ NC State
Current Records: Bethune-Cookman 1-7; NC State 6-2
What to Know
The NC State Wolfpack have the luxury of staying home another game and will welcome the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. ET Dec. 9 at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they’ll have plenty of motivation to get the ‘W.’
The Wolfpack entered their matchup against the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday without any home losses — but there’s a first time for everything. NC State was within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap as they fell 73-68 to U of L. NC State got double-digit scores from four players: forward Jericole Hellems (18), guard Terquavion Smith (17), guard Cam Hayes (15), and guard Dereon Seabron (11).
Meanwhile, it’s never fun to lose, and it’s even less fun to lose 81-45, which was the final score in Bethune-Cookman’s tilt against the UCF Knights on Sunday. One thing holding Bethune-Cookman back was the mediocre play of guard Joe French, who did not have his best game: he played for 31 minutes with 4-for-15 shooting and four turnovers.
NC State is the favorite in this one, with an expected 25.5-point margin of victory. But bettors beware: they are only 1-5 against the spread when favored.
The Wolfpack are now 6-2 while the Wildcats sit at 1-7. A couple defensive stats to keep an eye on: NC State is 48th worst in college basketball in points allowed per game, with 74.3 on average. Bethune-Cookman has experienced some struggles of their own as they have allowed their opponents to shoot 48.50% from the floor on average, which is the second highest shooting percentage allowed in college basketball. It’s possible one of these Achilles’ heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
How To Watch
- When: Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET
- Where: William Neal Reynolds Coliseum — Raleigh, North Carolina
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds
The Wolfpack are a big 25.5-point favorite against the Wildcats, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 25.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
This is the first time these teams have played each other within the last six years.
