South Carolina State vs NC Central Preview, Prediction, Odds & How to Watch Friday FCS

• North Carolina Central hosts South Carolina State in a game with major MEAC implications Friday night on ESPN2
• The Bulldogs are defending MEAC champs, but are 4.5-point underdogs on the road
• It’s an FCS showdown Friday night, and I have your South Carolina State vs NC Central preview, prediction, odds and how to watch

North Carolina Central (7-3; 7-3 ATS) looks to take down South Carolina State (7-3; 4-6 ATS) Friday night in an MEAC tussle. This game has a special start time of 5:00 pm ET, with ESPN2 broadcasting the action.

South Carolina State is tied with Delaware State on top of the MEAC with a 3-0 conference record. Those two schools meet next week. NC Central is 2-1 in the league and can force a logjam at the top with a win.

The Bulldogs have won five in a row and four of the last five meetings against the Eagles, including a 24-21 thriller last year. I’ve got more in my South Carolina State vs NC Central preview and prediction below.

South Carolina State vs NC Central Preview

South Carolina State is led by coach Chennis Berry, who guided his team to a MEAC title in his first season last year. The MEAC is a six-team league, so every conference game is huge.

SC State has won five in a row. The Bulldogs use two quarterbacks – William Atkins IV, a transfer from James Madison, has thrown for 1,760 yards and 12 scores. Ryan Stubblefield is the better runner, but he’s not just a runner, you know what I mean? He’s thrown for over 100 yards.

On defense, SC State linebacker Michael Lunz has 8.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. The Bulldogs also have a kicker from Madrid, Spain – Nick Alti is 12-15 this season, including a 50-yarder.

I know the perception is that HBCU football can be sloppy, but SC State plays clean, physical football.

NC Central is led by quarterback Walker Harris. He’s a redshirt senior who has actually spent all five years with the Eagles. He started 10 games last season and has thrown for 2,732 yards and 21 scores this year.

Eagles running back Chris Mosley is a weapon with six touchdowns and 864 yards.

What bugs me about the Eagles is an earlier loss to Delaware State in the conference and a defense that has allowed 26 points a game. I just think SC State is a little bit better.

South Carolina State vs NC Central Prediction

• Pick: South Carolina State +4.5 (-114 at FanDuel)
• Pick: Over 56.5 (-113 at FanDuel)

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I’m taking the Bulldogs on the road in a must-win game for this South Carolina State vs NC Central prediction. SC State needs this victory to stay in the MEAC title hunt with Delaware State looming next week.

The Bulldogs have momentum with five straight wins and have owned this matchup recently, winning four of the last five meetings. Their dual-quarterback system keeps defenses honest, and their defense has playmakers like Michael Lunz creating havoc in the backfield.

NC Central’s defense has been vulnerable, allowing 26 points per game, and I expect SC State’s balanced attack to exploit that weakness in Friday FCS action. The over should hit easily with both teams averaging over 30 points per game.

South Carolina State vs NC Central Odds

Odds as of Thursday, Nov. 13 at FanDuel. Get your MEAC on at FanDuel with our special FanDuel promo code.

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FanDuel has set the homestanding Eagles as 4.5-point favorites in the South Carolina State vs NC Central odds, and the total is high at 56.5.

But listen to this – these are two of the top offenses in the MEAC. NC Central averages 34.5 points a game, while SC State averages 31.9. They are both used to scoring points.

NC Central is 5-4 over/under this season, while the Bulldogs are 7-3. NC Central leads the all-time series 15-14.

How to Watch Friday FCS

Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium for this South Carolina State vs NC Central matchup. No, I don’t know why the strange start time, but I like it! Get your football weekend started off right.

As I write this, fans are still stuck in the middle of the YouTubeTV/ESPN stupidity. If you have YouTubeTV, this game won’t be available on that streaming platform.

To watch South Carolina State and NC Central, you can buy ESPN Unlimited, or invest in a different streaming platform like Sling or Fubo.