The Jackson State Tigers take on the Hampton Pirates in College Park, GA. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Hampton is favored by -6.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -295. The total is set at 136.5 points.
Here’s my Jackson State vs. Hampton prediction and college basketball picks for December 18, 2025.
Jackson State vs Hampton Prediction
My Pick: Under 135.5
My Jackson State vs Hampton best bet is Under 135.5 total points in this game. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Jackson State vs. Hampton Odds
| Jackson State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -102 | 136.5 -110o / -110u | +230 |
| Hampton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -118 | 136.5 -110o / -110u | -295 |
- Jackson State vs Hampton spread: Hampton -6.5
- Jackson State vs Hampton over/under: 136.5 points
- Jackson State vs Hampton moneyline: Jackson State +230, Hampton -295
Jackson State vs Hampton College Basketball Betting Preview
Jackson State Basketball
Jackson State comes in at 1-9 on the season, but it's played the toughest schedule in the entire country, per KenPom.
The Tigers have played five of the 30 strongest teams in college basketball already during their non-conference slate.
Jackson State isn't as bad as the metrics would indicate, and I would expect this group to be fairly competitive as it moves into the conference portion of its schedule.
Offensively, Jackson State is going to run through Daeshun Ruffin, who's averaging 15 points per game, along with Jayme Mitchell Jr. and Dorian McMillian, who are averaging in double-figure scoring.
These three take an overwhelming majority of the shots and are capable of getting to the rim and finishing at the hole.
Due to the competition played, we haven't seen Jackson State with an impressive offensive output, but I would suspect this team will be competitive in this game.
It's hard to assess Jackson State's defensive performance, as the level of competition has been able to overwhelm the Tigers.
However, the defense did play pretty well against Louisiana and Lousiana Tech, and I would expect these guys to be ready for Hampton on Thursday.
Hampton Basketball
Hampton comes in off a loss against fellow HBCU Howard last Saturday after the Pirates had won their previous three contests.
The team has played some difficult regional high-major opponents and a couple of non-Division I opponents so far this season. This game will give the Pirates a chance to compete with other HBCU teams at a similar talent level.
Hampton doesn’t have an elite scorer, as just two players average double figures, led by Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt and Michael Eley, who each average 11 points per game.
The Pirates struggle to shoot from outside and rank just 344th nationally in 3-point percentage. The post play has been middling, as Hampton doesn’t have a ton of size down low. However, Josh Ogundele does log about 19 minutes and scores 5.5 points per game.
Hampton does crash the glass well and gets to the foul line quite a bit, and this aggressive style should serve it well against Jackson State on Thursday.
Defensively, the Pirates do a better job than you would expect in many statistical metrics. The Pirates defend the 3-point shot well and have done a pretty good job turning over their opponents at times this season, while forcing 12.5 per game.
Keeping their rivals off the offensive glass has been an issue, though. One third of opponent misses are corralled by the shooting team, and I would expect a more aggressive desire from Pirate defenders on the boards in this one.
Jackson State vs. Hampton Betting Analysis
I'm going to be diving in on the under.
I don't think the Jackson State defense is as bad as the numbers show. This team has faced a murderers' row of opponents who have overwhelmed it.
Illinois, Louisville, Auburn, Arkansas and Houston were just so much more supremely talented than Jackson State and ended up with layup lines on the other end after turning over the Tigers' offense. That won't be the case here.
Defensively, Hampton will match up well with Jackson State and should force the Tigers to be methodical on offense. I would expect both teams to operate at a slower pace, and I have this one being played at 65-67 total possessions.
Jackson State ranks 361st nationally in effective field goal percentage and Hampton ranks 337th.
With this game being played at a neutral site in an unfamiliar gym, with two teams that should both be up for this one, I'll call for defense to set the tone.
My Pick: Under 135.5 (Play to 134)
