Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville prediction and odds for Big South Conference second round

The Big South Tournament second round tips off at noon eastern on Friday afternoon to tip off a full day of college hoops.

UNC Asheville has been on a tear in Big South play, 16-2 in regular season play, and now face Charleston Southern, a team they beat by double digits twice in the regular season, and struggled throughout conference play at 5-13 and have the worst defense in the conference this season, can they keep it competitive in their third try?

Here are the odds for the noon tip:

Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville odds, spread and total 

Charleston Southern vs. UNC Asheville prediction and pick

This line opened at UNC Asheville -8, which makes sense at first blush given that the Bulldogs closed as 10-point home favorites back on February 22nd when they won by 18.

However, there are simply too many matchup advantages for the No. 1 seed in this second round matchup. The Bulldogs are fourth in the nation in three-point shooting at nearly 40%, but also get to the line at a top 20 rate, they are a load to deal with on the offensive side of the ball, and I don’t think it’ll end well for the Buccaneers. Charleston Southern has the fifth worst defensive efficiency in the country.

The team doesn’t turn opponents over, nor do they do a good job on the defensive glass, second worst in Big South play in both metrics, and the Bulldogs should be able to name their score with their up-tempo attack.

While it appears that the No. 1 seed has an incredible offense, it’s their defense that is the best in Big South play, limiting opponents to the lowest effective field goal percentage in league play. Meanwhile, the only time Charleston Southern has broken 75 points since the beginning of February is when they beat Presbyterian in the season final, the 347th best team per KenPom’s ratings.

This is setting up for a blowout in the opener in second round action, I’ll lay it with the Bulldogs, who have too many avenues to success against the Bucs.