The NC A&T Aggies take on the Hampton Pirates in Hampton, VA. Tip-off is set for 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Hampton is favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -165. The total is set at 139.5 points.
Here’s my NC A&T vs. Hampton prediction and college basketball picks for February 13, 2026.
NC A&T vs Hampton Prediction
My Pick: NC A&T +3.5 (Play to +1)
My NC A&T vs Hampton best bet is on the Aggies to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
NC A&T vs. Hampton Odds
| NC A&T Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -115 | 139.5 -110 / -110 | +140 |
| Hampton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -105 | 139.5 -110 / -110 | -165 |
- NC A&T vs Hampton spread: Hampton -3.5
- NC A&T vs Hampton over/under: 139.5 points
- NC A&T vs Hampton moneyline: NC A&T +140, Hampton -165
NC A&T vs Hampton College Basketball Betting Preview
Hampton Basketball
Hampton enters the NBA HBCU Classic on a hot streak, snagging back-to-back wins over William & Mary and Elon. The Pirates are 12-13 overall and 6-6 in CAA play, while already owning a win by 21 over this same NC A&T squad.
Offense has been quite scarce for the Pirates. They rank 288th in offensive efficiency, per KenPom. To make matters worse, two of Hampton's top five scorers — Michael Eley (10.9 PPG) and Christian Watson (6.9 PPG) — missed the last few contests.
The Pirates have almost no shooting, so a significant portion of their offensive success stems from rebounds.
Starting forward Xzavier Long is one of the key cogs on the glass, grabbing 10 boards per game. Next to Long, seven-foot, 275-pound Josh Ogundele scored 10+ points and grabbed five-plus rebounds in Hampton's two wins last week.
That's part of why Hampton looks to play such a slow tempo (310th in adjusted tempo). Its best offense either comes off dribble drives from point guard Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt (11.8 PPG) or offensive rebounds. Hampton is best served by avoiding transition chances and letting its bigs get down the floor to try to grab boards.
On the defensive end, Hampton is fairly aggressive, forcing turnovers 17% of the time. One of the downsides of aggressive defense is fouling, as Hampton's defense ranks 349th in defensive free-throw rate.
Another point of defensive struggle is at the rim, as opponents shoot 53% from inside the arc on the Pirates' defense.
So, how did Hampton beat Elon and William & Mary? The easy answer is those rebounds (and some luck). The Pirates grabbed 12 offensive boards against the Tribe and 17 against Elon. Luck-wise, William & Mary went 1-for-15 from downtown, which will help.
NC A&T Basketball
North Carolina A&T has dropped four straight games — two of which came by two points and one was in overtime. It feels like only a matter of time until that luck begins to trend positively for the Aggies, but they've struggled all season.
If NC A&T can beat Hampton, it starts with star freshman Lewis Walker. The burly 6-foot-6, 230-pound forward scored just five points — his lowest output of the season — in the Aggies' prior loss to Hampton.
This season, Walker is averaging 19.1 points per game. He shoots 50% from the field, 38% from deep and 86% from the line. He's been terrific, and the Aggies need him to perform.
The Aggies struggle on both ends of the floor, ranking 274th in offensive efficiency and 278th in defensive efficiency. They shoot just 31% from deep and 50% on 2s, but at least Walker is a reliable source of scoring.
I pinpoint two areas where the Aggies can overwhelm Hampton. The most notable is on the glass, as they hold teams to a 27% offensive rebound rate (44th). That should work to limit Hampton's offensive strength.
Second, NC A&T lives at the foul line, ranking 27th in free-throw rate, led by Walker. However, it won't matter if NC A&T plays out of control and turns the ball over too much. That's how you make a bad offense into a decent one.
Pace will play a big factor here. The Aggies will aim for a more chaotic game and look to speed up the opposing offense, as they rank 56th in average defensive possession length.
On the offensive end, NC A&T is more deliberate, sitting 216th. If it can speed up Hampton's shaky offense, it'll be a nice boost.
NC A&T vs. Hampton Betting Analysis
I'll take the points with the Aggies. I know the first matchup was ugly, but it was a home win for Hampton. The last road or neutral site win for the Pirates was on Dec. 10.
Now, NC A&T's last neutral/road win came six days later; we aren't talking juggernauts.
But it boils down to Walker being a consistent 20-point-per-game guy.
Hampton needs a lot to go right for a decent offensive night. It helps to have a "bail you out" guy like Walker.
My Pick: NC A&T +3.5 (Play to +1)
