Charleston vs UNC-Wilmington Odds, Spread & Picks for Colonial Conference Title Game
By Robert Duff in College Basketball
Published:
- The Charleston Cougars are 9-point favorites over the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks in the Colonial Conference Tournament title on Tuesday, March 7
- UNC-Wilmington, the #4 seed, upset #1 Hofstra in one of Monday’s two semifinal games
- In the other semifinal, #2 College of Charleston Cougars downed #3 Towson State 77-72
For the third straight year, the top-seeded school won’t be playing in the Colonial Athletic Association Conference (CAA) Tournament championship game. It will be the #4 UNC-Wilmington Seahawks facing the #2 College of Charleston Cougars for all the marbles, as well as an NCAA Tournament berth.
UNC-Wilmington upset the #1-seeded Hofstra Pride in one of Monday’s two semifinals. The other semifinal saw the Cougars win the battle of the cats, taking out the Towson Tigers 77-72.
Oddly enough, the last #1 seed to win the Colonial Conference Tournament was Hofstra in 2020.
It will be the Cougars who are set by oddsmakers as the 9-point favorites in the final. The tournament title will be decided on Tuesday, March 7 at 7 pm ET on the CBS Sports Network.
UNC-Wilmington vs Charleston Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNC-Wilmington Seahawks | +9 (-110) | +330 | O 142.5 (-110) |
| College of Charleston Cougars | -9 (-110) | -440 | U 142.5 (-110) |
Even though Hofstra was the top seed in the CAA tourney, the Pride were only the second betting choice to win the event at +170 in the opening Colonial Tournament odds. College of Charleston opened as the -110 chalk. The Cougars were also set as the #12 seed in the West Region in the projected March Madness bracket.
Odds as of March 6 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Seahawks Sink Hofstra Winning Streak
Top-seeded Hofstra came into the Colonial Athletic Association Conference semifinals riding a 12-game winning streak. However, the Seahawks worked overtime for the 79-73 victory. They held the Pride to a pair of free throws in the OT period, outscoring Hofstra 8-2. Hofstra beat UNCW 70-46 in regular-season play. However, the Seahawks have won three in a row over the Pride in the CAA Tournament.
Guard Trazarien White worked a double-double to lead the Seahawks to victory. White scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. It was his fourth double-double of the season and sixth of his career. Guards Maleeck Harden-Hayes and Donovan Newby scored 17 points apiece.
At one point this season, UNCW won 13 straight games. Seahawks really started that streak when they won the Baha Mar Nassau Championship, winning three games in as many days Thanksgiving Week. As Takayo Siddle just said: "We're built for this." @uncwmenshoops x @CAABasketball
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) March 7, 2023
UNC-Wilmington improved to 24-9. The Seahawks came into the game as 7-point underdogs. For the second successive game, they rallied from a 12-point deficit. Drexel also led UNCW by a dozen points in their quarterfinal matchup.
UNCW will be playing in its record 13th Colonial Conference Tournament championship game. The Seahawks own six conference titles.
Cougars Roar Past Tigers
Charleston (30-3) won and covered as a 4-point pick over Towson State. The Tigers squandered a 38-33 halftime advantage.
Guard Reyne Smith led the way for the Cougars with 20 points. He was one of four Charleston players to hit for double figures. Forward Ante Brzovic (19 points, nine rebounds), guard Dalton Bolon (12 points) and guard Ryan Larson (12 points) were the others who were good for double figures.
SEE YOU IN THE SHIP.#OurCity 🌴🏀 pic.twitter.com/7aqAWDN7EM
— Charleston Basketball (@CofCBasketball) March 7, 2023
A balanced attack has been getting the job done for the Cougars all season long. Though they don’t have a single player in the top 15 CAA scorers, Bolon (12.7 ppg), Brzovic (11.3 ppg) and guard Pat Robinson III (11.0 ppg) all rate among the top 25 scorers in the conference.
College of Charleston vs UNC-Wilmington Prediction
UNCW is an effective defensive squad. The Seahawks show the best turnover margin in the CAA at +2.12. They’re also the #2 scoring defense, allowing just 64.4 points per game. Offensively, though, White (14.2 points per game) is their only scorer in double digits this season. He’s 12th in conference scoring.
The Cougars are the #1 offense (81.5 ppg) and own the biggest point margin (14.0) of any team in the CAA. They are also the #1 rebounding team in the conference, pulling down 40.8 boards off the glass per game.
Charleston whipped UNCW 93-61 on Feb. 8 at home. On the road, the Cougars edged the Seahawks 71-69 on Jan. 11.
Pick: Charleston Cougars -9 (-110).
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
