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The South Carolina State Bulldogs take on the Morgan State Bears in Baltimore, Maryland, on Thursday, Oct. 29. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
South Carolina State is favored by -6.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -290. Morgan State, meanwhile, enters as a +6.5 underdog and is +225 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 51.5 total points.
Here’s my South Carolina State vs. Morgan State prediction and college football pick for Thursday, October 29.
South Carolina State vs Morgan State Prediction
- South Carolina State vs Morgan State Pick: South Carolina State -6.5
My Morgan State vs. South Carolina State best bet is on the Bulldogs to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
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South Carolina State vs Morgan State Odds
| South Carolina State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -102 | 51.5 -110o / -110u | -290 |
| Morgan State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -120 | 51.5 -110o / -110u | +225 |
- South Carolina State vs Morgan State point spread: South Carolina State -7.5, Morgan State +7.5
- South Carolina State vs Morgan State over/under: 51.5
- South Carolina State vs Morgan State moneyline: South Carolina State -290, Morgan State +225
South Carolina State vs Morgan State College Football Preview
South Carolina State Bulldogs Betting Preview
South Carolina State had been cruising this season, winning its first five games behind a dominant defense and forceful run game, but stunning losses against The Citadel and Charleston Southern have taken away much of that momentum.
The Bulldogs did rebound nicely last week against Norfolk State, so this team still controls its own destiny in the MEAC. Hopes of winning the conference and playing in the Celebration Bowl are still very much a reality.
This bunch looked refreshed and ready for a late-season push after the bye week, defeating Norfolk State last week by a score of 22-7.
SC State had been rotating between Keely Watson and Ronnie Robinson at quarterback this season, but Watson has taken firm control of the position and is throwing the ball well.
Watson is completing 63% of his passes with 1,368 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Robinson is still used a decent amount in run packages, and his mobility can create problems for defensive coordinators in the MEAC.
The ground attack had been absolutely electric the first five weeks of the season but against better competition has been very average.
The Bulldogs are averaging just 97 yards per game and 2.8 yards per carry on the ground over the last three outings. Mason Pickett-Hicks has run for 793 yards and seven touchdowns this season, and he needs to level up his performance down the stretch to get this offense back on track for conference play.
Josh Shaw has a nose for the goal line and is used between the tackles when SC State is in the red zone. Shaw has 12 rushing scores this season.
The offensive line has played well, allowing just eight sacks this season.
The Bulldogs have three explosive receivers in DJ Maultsby, Malaqhi Jones and Troy Hillman who are going to have opportunities to make plays in this game.
The play of the Bulldogs' defense has been solid this season, allowing fewer than 317 total yards in all but one game. The defense was ill-prepared to stop The Citadel’s triple option attack, but the loss against Charleston Southern was more the result of four offensive turnovers rather than a poor defensive effort.
The front has been excellent at providing pressure and South Carolina State has registered 24 sacks and 66 tackles for loss this season. Ka Von Chisolm is a Havoc creator who has seven sacks, while Jordan Dollard and Joshua Barker have a combined eight sacks between them.
This has been an opportunistic defense that has performed well on third down, allowing just 26% of attempts to be converted successfully. Opponents have scored just six red-zone touchdowns this season in 15 trips.
Morgan State Bears Betting Preview
Morgan State was the talk of HBCU football earlier this month, as the Bears offense had been playing really good football and the team found itself with impressive victories over Towson and Villanova while starting this season 5-1.
Consecutive losses against Tennessee State and Howard University have put a damper on the season, and the way last week’s game played out was stunning.
Morgan State was in complete control against Howard, 20-6, with possession of the football with less than 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter and ended up losing.
It was a complete collapse, so I'll be interested to see how Morgan State responds here.
The quarterback play has been better this year than Morgan State has had over the last decade, as Cameron Edge is completing 67% of his passes and has thrown for 1,694 yards with 14 passing touchdowns.
These numbers are the best the Bears have seen through an entire season since 2019, and they still have four games left to play.
Edge has shown poise in the pocket, and his arm talent is very solid for this level of football. His mobility has allowed him to escape pressure and avoid negative plays, as he has also rushed for 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
Keith Jenkins Jr. is the primary ball-carrier in the backfield, running for 399 yards with three touchdowns.
Jordan Barnett also sees a decent amount of the workload. Barnett has run for 244 yards and four scores while averaging 6.6 yards per attempt.
The Bears throw the ball to Jenkins out of the backfield often, and he's the team's second-leading pass-catcher with 28 receptions. Justin Perry and Joseph Towler are explosive players who have combined to haul in 49 passes for 926 yards and nine touchdowns collectively.
The defense hasn't been great this season, as this is a mediocre MEAC stop unit.
The Bears are allowing 381 yards per game against FCS competition, and stopping the run has been the strength. Morgan State is allowing just 126 yards per game on the ground, and the defensive line has created a decent amount of activity in the opponent’s backfield.
Morgan State can be passed on, and the secondary has been shredded by competent quarterbacks. This coverage unit will need to play really well to have a chance to upset SC State.
South Carolina State vs Morgan State Pick, Betting Analysis
This line opened up with South Carolina State listed as a 4.5-point favorite with a total set at 51.5. The Bulldogs took a little action on the opener and are now listed as 6.5-point favorites. I'm willing to lay the number with SC State here.
Watson is an excellent pocket passer, and the offensive line has held up well in pass protection this year. Watson will have time to throw the ball, and the Bulldog receivers are going to register explosive plays.
We'll see SC State run the football, and while the explosives won't be there on the ground, early-down success will be had.
This will allow the Bulldogs to remain in manageable distances on third down, where they're converting 45% this season. The Bears have allowed 45% third-down conversions on defense, so getting SC State off the field on third down regularly could be a problem here.
Morgan State has been outgained in five of its six games against FCS competition this season despite racking up wins. The offense is improved, but the performance the last two weeks has been extremely concerning.
The Bears have gone long stretches offensively without being able to move the football, and the offensive line could struggle here in the trenches against the Havoc-minded Bulldogs.
Morgan State has been terrible in the red zone offensively this season, scoring just eight red-zone touchdowns in 17 trips against FCS competition, including just two touchdowns in seven trips the last three weeks.
The Bears have also been a very heavily penalized team this year, with eight or more accepted penalties against them in every game this season.
The undisciplined play directly cost Morgan State against Howard, and mistakes and penalties could pile up for the Bears.
SC State is the better team here, and this group looked fresh off the bye week last week against Norfolk State. The Bulldogs are the best team in the MEAC, and I think we get a great showing from them on the road on Thursday night.
Pick: South Carolina State -6.5
South Carolina State vs Morgan State Betting Trends
