The No. 1 seed UNC-Asheville Bulldogs take on the No. 8 Charleston Southern Buccaneers in the 2023 Big South Tournament on Friday. This is the first of four matchups on Friday at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. UNC Asheville is 2-0 against Charleston Southern this season and enters the game with a 16-2 mark in Big South play. Charleston Southern defeated High Point on Wednesday to reach this quarterfinal matchup, and the Buccaneers are 10-20 overall and 5-13 in Big South action.
Caesars Sportsbook lists the Bulldogs as 9-point favorites for this noon ET tipoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 143.5 in the latest Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville odds. Before locking in any Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 17 of the season 76-46 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,600 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville:
- Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville spread: UNC Asheville -9
- Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville over/under: 143.5 points
- Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville money line: UNC Asheville -480, CSO +360
- CS: The Buccaneers are 8-11 against the spread in Big South games
- UNCA: The Bulldogs are 12-6 against the spread in Big South games
- Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville picks: See picks here
Why Charleston Southern can cover
Charleston Southern is led by sophomore guard Claudell Harris Jr., who scored 20 points in the first round win over High Point. He is averaging 17.6 points per game, No. 2 in the Big South, and brings upside for the Buccaneers. With Harris Jr. at the forefront, Charleston Southern is No. 2 in the conference in offensive efficiency, and the Buccaneers have the conference's best turnover rate (17.6%) this season.
Charleston Southern is also in the top three of the Big South in 3-point accuracy (35.2%) and free throw accuracy (74.4%). In addition, the Buccaneers could have the edge in generating second-chance points, as they rank in the top three of the Big South with a 31.7% offensive rebound rate. UNC-Asheville is dead-last in the conference in grabbing only 24.2% of available offensive rebounds.
Why UNC Asheville can cover
In conjunction with the Big South's best defensive performance this season, UNC Asheville is difficult to stop on the offensive end. The Bulldogs are led by senior forward Drew Pember, and the transfer from Tennessee led the Big South with 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game this season. Pember averaged 21.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in two wins over Charleston Southern, and he is a highly efficient shot creator. UNC Asheville is also elite from long distance, posting a top-five mark in the country in 3-point accuracy (39.5%) and leading the Big South with 40.6% shooting from beyond the arc in conference play.
The Bulldogs lead the Big South in free throw rate and assist rate this season, with a top-three mark in free throw accuracy. This is also a friendly matchup for UNC Asheville against a porous Charleston Southern defense. The Buccaneers are last in the Big South in defensive efficiency, opponent shooting, and assist rate allowed, with strongly below-average metrics in turnover creation rate and defensive rebound rate.
How to make Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, with seven players projected to score at least eight points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville spread you need to jump on Friday, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
