Halftime Report
Samford is on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have jumped out to a quick 54-46 lead against SC State.
Samford entered the matchup having won three straight and they're just one half away from another. Will they make it four, or will SC State step up and spoil it? We'll know soon.
Who's Playing
Samford Bulldogs @ SC State Bulldogs
Current Records: Samford 7-2, SC State 4-5
How To Watch
- When: Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Smith-Hammond-Middleton Center -- Orangeburg, South Carolina
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $19.00
What to Know
After six games on the road, SC State is heading back home. They will welcome the Samford Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Center. SC State is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 77.1 points per game this season.
SC State will head into Sunday's matchup ready to turn things around: they couldn't quite beat Xavier on Sunday, but the three-point margin was a huge improvement compared to the 29-point loss they were dealt last Wednesday. SC State fell just short of Xavier by a score of 71-68. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Bulldogs have suffered since February 3rd.
Meanwhile, Samford entered their tilt with Western Georgia on Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Everything went their way against the Wolves as they made off with an 86-65 victory. The Bulldogs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three games by 21 points or more this season.
SC State now has a losing record at 4-5. As for Samford, their win was their 23rd straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-2.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. SC State hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 77.1 points per game. However, it's not like Samford (currently ranked first) struggles in that department as they've been averaging 93.8. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
SC State is hoping to beat the odds on Thursday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. This will be their first time playing as the underdogs at home this season.
Odds
Samford is a big 7.5-point favorite against SC State, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 7.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 159.5 points.
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Series History
Samford has won 2 out of their last 3 games against SC State.
- Nov 17, 2023 - Samford 89 vs. SC State 72
- Dec 17, 2022 - SC State 62 vs. Samford 61
- Nov 25, 2018 - Samford 77 vs. SC State 60