Charleston Southern vs. Winthrop Prediction, Odds for Big South Championship Quarterfinal

A Big South Quarterfinal matchup is set for Friday afternoon, as the Charleston Southern Buccaneers take on the No. 2-seeded Winthrop Eagles.

After a strong season in Big South play, Winthrop suffered a couple of tough losses down the stretch, losing to High Point and Charleston Southern by two points each. Now, the Eagles are set for their third matchup with the Buccaneers, who they beat by in their first meeting of the 2025-26 season.

Oddsmakers have set the Eagles as favorites in this matchup, Winthrop has covered the spread just seven times in 22 games when favored this season.

On the other side, the Buccaneers are 9-6 against the spread as underdogs, and they actually closed the regular season well, winning four of their final six games.

Here’s a look at the betting odds, a player to watch and my prediction for this Big South quarterfinal battle.

Charleston Southern vs. Winthrop Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

Charleston Southern +4.5 (-115)
Winthrop -4.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Charleston Southern: +140
Winthrop: -170

Total

161.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Charleston Southern vs. Winthrop How to Watch

Date: Friday, March 6
Time: 2:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Freedom Hall (TN)
How to Watch (TV): ESPN+
Charleston Southern record: 15-16
Winthrop record: 21-10

Charleston Southern vs. Winthrop Key Player to Watch

A’lahn Sumler, Guard, Charleston Southern

A junior guard, Sumler leads the Buccaneers in scoring this season, averaging 18.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He dropped 20 points on Winthrop in the last meeting between these teams and is averaging 21.0 points per game against the Eagles this season.

Sumler is an elite shooter, knocking down 48.2 percent of his attempts from the field and 39.9 percent of his 3s. He’s also been red hot heading into the Big South tournament, scoring 16, 27, 29, 20 and 13 points in his last five games.

Charleston Southern vs. Winthrop Prediction and Pick

Charleston Southern loves to push the pace (14th in adjusted tempo this season, per KenPom), and that has helped it avoid a terrible record despite one of the worst turnover rates (No. 317) in the country this season.

The Buccaneers almost always lose the turnover battle – they rank 357th in opponent turnover rate – but this team is not a bad field goal percentage defense (24th in opponent effective field goal percentage).

Charleston Southern won the last meeting between these teams, and Winthrop has not been able to cover at a high rate as a favorite all season (7-15). So, is there a path for the Buccaneers to cover on Friday?

I believe there is, as the two meetings between these teams were decided by four and two points. In fact, Winthrop has 11 different games decided by four or fewer points, including four straight in conference play.

The Eagles may be the No. 2 seed in the Big South, but they are No. 143 in KenPom’s latest rankings. Given their struggles against the spread this season, I think the Eagles are a fade candidate in this quarterfinal matchup.

Pick: Charleston Southern +4.5 (-115 at FanDuel)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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