Drexel opens up the new year by hosting Hampton Monday in a CAA opener for both teams. Both matchups last season came down to the wire and Drexel and Hampton split the season series. The two programs had never met prior to Hampton joining the CAA last season.
Hampton sits at 4-8 heading into this matchup and has lost three consecutive games after a two-game winning streak. The Pirates lost to previous No. 20 James Madison to start the skid and are coming off a 72-69 loss to Eastern Michigan last week. Hampton star forward Kyrese Mullen scored 19 points and guard Tre Thomas added a season-high 17 points off the bench.
As for Drexel, it is also on a cold streak heading into conference play. The Dragons have lost three of their last five games and are coming off a 104-86 loss on the road to Bryant. In that loss, star guard Justin Moore scored a career-high 34 points for his seventh double-digit outburst of the season.
The Dragons recorded their biggest win of the season at the start of December against previous No. 18 Villanova. Amari Williams converted a free throw with 31 seconds left to stretch the lead to two points and Williams got a block on the other end to seal the upset win.
How to watch Hampton vs. Drexel live
Date: Monday, Jan. 1 | Time: Noon ET
Location: Daskalakis Athletic Center -- Philadelphia
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App (Free)
Hampton vs. Drexel prediction, picks
Odds via SportsLine consensus
Hampton is in need of a spark heading into the new year. Last season, both of these games went down to the wire and were decided by less than six points. The Pirates haven't been great this season, but this seems like too big of a spread for them not to cover based on what happened last year. Prediction: Hampton +15
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