Delaware vs Charleston Odds, Lines, and Spread (Dec. 31)

• Charleston is a 3-point favorite over Delaware on Friday (Dec. 31st) at 2 pm ET at TD Arena, in Charleston, SC
• The Cougars rank first in the nation in tempo per KenPom
• Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction

The college basketball slate tips off early on New Year’s eve with 20 matinee games on the schedule. Among those, is a CAA tilt between Delaware and Charleston, which will mark the Cougars’ first conference action of the season.

Delaware vs Charleston Odds

Odds as of Dec. 30th at FanDuel.

Charleston opened up as a 3-point favorite, in a game that features a total of 152. Tip-off is slated for 2 pm ET at TD Arena, in Charleston, SC, and will also mark the Cougars’ first home game since December 12th.

Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens Betting Analysis

The Fightin’ Blue Hens dropped their conference opener on Wednesday 70-68 to UNC Wilmington. It was Delaware’s second straight defeat, after reeling off five consecutive victories earlier in the month.

#BlueHens drop CAA opener at UNCW. Painter scores 22 points, Allen adds 17. UD faces Charleston Friday at 2 p.m. pic.twitter.com/enVtbJVB5J

— Delaware Men’s Basketball (@DelawareMBB) December 30, 2021

Dylan Painter led the offense with 22 points, and 9 rebounds, while Ryan Allen splashed 19. The Fightin’ Blue Hens shot 48% from the field, and 36% from beyond the arc, but lost the game at the free throw line. They made only 11 of 19 attempts from their charity stripe, which is uncharacteristic given they’ve hit 77% of their freebies this season.

Painter converts inside and has now scored 20 points on the night#BlueHens pic.twitter.com/ockz5sW25e

— Delaware Men’s Basketball (@DelawareMBB) December 30, 2021

Defensively, they allowed their opponent to bury 50% of their triples, while forcing only 10 turnovers. Another big factor in the loss was their play on the defensive glass. Delaware coughed up 13 offensive rebounds to the Seahawks, which has been a problem all season. The Fightin’ Blue Hens rank 276th in total rebounding, and 256th in defensive rebound percentage. That will be a big issue versus Charleston on Friday, which we’ll discuss later.

For the season, Delaware has impressed offensively, but much like their last outing has disappointed on defense. They average over 73 points per game, but yield 70.7 points per outing, while allowing a 49.5% opponent effective field goal percentage.

Charleston Cougars Betting Analysis

The Cougars’ CAA opener was postponed on Wednesday due to COVID concerns within the Drexel program. They’re coming off an 82-80 win over Old Dominion, thanks to a Babacar Faye jumper with only 27 seconds remaining.

“That’s what we do” 🗣

A total team win on the road. #OurCity 🌴🏀 pic.twitter.com/MsIYvgr0t2

— Charleston Basketball (@CofCBasketball) December 23, 2021

Dimitrius Underwood led the offense with 15 points, while Reyne Smith and Ben Burnham each added 10. Charleston didn’t set the world on fire with its shooting efficiency, but more than made up for it on the offensive glass. They racked up 19 offensive rebounds which led to a bevy of second chance opportunities. For the season, they rank fifth in the nation in offensive rebounds per game, and ninth in total rebounding. They must be licking their chops at Friday’s matchup versus the Fightin’ Blue Hens.

BENNY BUCKETS. #OurCity 🌴🏀 pic.twitter.com/IEepiFJzFo

— Charleston Basketball (@CofCBasketball) December 23, 2021

Defensively, the Cougars allowed the Monarchs to knock down 41% of their looks, including 38% of their triples. Defense is far from Charleston’s calling card, as they’re much more proficient on offense. They average 80.2 points per game, which is 19th in the country, while ranking 319th in opponent points per game (78.5), and 253rd in opponent effective field goal percentage (51%).

Delaware vs Charleston Pick

Given the Cougars’ season long stats, it’s no wonder the majority of their games have gone over the total. The over is 9-3 in their contests, and has hit in five of their past six outings. Another big reason why their games tend to be high scoring is the accelerated pace at which they play. Charleston ranks first in the nation in tempo, and ninth in average possession length.

8 non-con Ws ✅

Now ➡️ @CAABasketball. Let’s get it.

2 PM on NYE in #OurCity 🌴🏀 pic.twitter.com/get6PeiG15

— Charleston Basketball (@CofCBasketball) December 30, 2021

Not to be outdone, Delaware has been cashing over tickets at a right rate as well. Each of its past two contests have gone over the total, as have nine of its 13 outings overall.

Pick: Over 152 (-110)