The Charleston Cougars take on the Charlotte 49ers in Honolulu, HI, as part of the Diamond Head Classic. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Charleston is favored by 6 points on the spread with a moneyline of -265. The total is set at 145 points.
Here are my Charleston vs. Charlotte predictions and college basketball picks for December 25, 2024.
Charleston vs Charlotte Prediction
My Pick: Charleston -6 (Play to -6.5)
My Charleston vs Charlotte best bet is on the Cougars spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Charleston vs Charlotte Odds
| Charleston Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6 -108 | 145 -108o / -112u | -265 |
| Charlotte Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6 -112 | 145 -108o / -112u | +215 |
- Charleston vs Charlotte spread: Charleston -6
- Charleston vs Charlotte over/under: 145 points
- Charleston vs Charlotte moneyline: Charleston -265, Charlotte +215
- Charleston vs Charlotte best bet: Charleston -6 (Play to -6.5)
Spread
I'm taking the Cougars on the spread up to 7.
Moneyline
I have no play on the moneyline.
Over/Under
There is no value on the total.
My Pick: Charleston -6 (Play to -6.5)
Charleston vs Charlotte College Basketball Betting Preview
The Charleston Cougars bounced back from a difficult loss to Oregon State by taking care of a very undermanned Loyola Chicago squad to secure at least one win in the Diamond Head Classic.
In my write-up of the Cougars' game against the Ramblers, a big part of my handicap was the importance of Charleston’s secondary scorers helping Ante Brzovic.
That definitely happened in the Cougars’ win, as Derrin Boyd scored 16, Deywilk Tavarez scored 30 and Brzovic scored 14. If the Cougars can get over 50 points a night from those three, it bodes well for Charleston covering against Charlotte.
In this matchup, Charleston has an advantage in multiple respects. If the tempo is fast, Charleston has the edge, as it ranks No. 110 in adjusted tempo compared to No. 332 for Charlotte.
The other advantage lies on the interior. Brzovic is a known baller, but Lazar Djokovic is no slouch, too. The two Charleston forwards should have a field day against the 49ers' porous interior defense (307th in 2-point field goal percentage).
Murray State shot 53% from 2 versus the 49ers and Hawaii shot 61%, so their interior struggles have stolen the show.
Although I touched primarily on the Cougars’ offense, their defense has been the staple so far. Charleston boasts the No. 110-ranked defense, per KenPom, and thrives on forcing turnovers (19% of the time) and bolting in transition.
The lone struggle for Charleston’s defense is limiting teams from scoring on the interior, as opponents shoot 54% on 2s (263rd nationally).
Charlotte needed a miracle to avoid playing in the seventh-place game; it trailed Murray State by 10 with five minutes left and took the Racers to two overtimes before sealing the deal.
Giancarlo Rosado returning to Charlotte’s lineup means the 49ers are now healthy. He is a big add to Charlotte’s lineup, and he scored 23 points in the win over the Racers.
Aaron Fearne lost a trio of starters to the portal — all of which are starting at high-major schools. That isn’t easy to replace, particularly on the defensive end. The 49ers went from No. 131 in KenPom’s defensive efficiency to a ghastly No. 271 this year.
If Charlotte can’t slow the game down, it puts it in a precarious spot, since the offense can’t keep up in a high-scoring game (unless it goes to multiple overtimes).
Offensively, Charlotte is very strong in two areas — getting to the foul line and limiting turnovers. Standout guard Nik Graves is a huge reason why the 49ers attempt the third-most foul shots in America.
Graves leads Coach Fearne’s squad with 16 points per game while attempting over eight free throws per game. Elite free throw shooting was the difference in the win over Murray State, as Charlotte went 34-of-36 from the stripe, including 12-of-12 from Graves.
I just don’t know if Charlotte has enough offensive pop to cover versus Charleston without living at the foul line. That feels like a lofty task against a Cougars unit that ranks No. 138 in defensive FTA/FGA.
I’m on the Cougs here.
