2019 NCAA Tournament First Four odds: NC Central vs. North Dakota State picks, predictions from proven model on 11-5 run

SportsLine's advanced computer model simulated the NC Central vs. North Dakota State First Four game 10,000 times

The North Carolina Central Eagles will be looking for their first NCAA Tournament win in program history Wednesday night when they play the North Dakota State Bison in a First Four matchup in Dayton, Ohio. The Eagles (18-15), who won the MEAC Tournament title with a 50-47 win over Norfolk State, have reached the NCAA Tournament three straight seasons but are winless in three previous appearances. Summit League champion North Dakota State (18-15) is almost as NCAA Tournament tested as its opponent; the Bison have reached the Big Dance three times in six years. North Dakota State is favored by 4.5-points in the latest North Dakota State vs. NC Central odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 134. Before making any North Dakota State vs. NC Central picks of your own, be sure to check out the NCAA Tournament predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has raked in the winnings for those following its picks. Over the past two years, the SportsLine Projection Model has returned over $4,000 to $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks. It also entered the postseason on a strong 11-5 run on all top-rated college basketball picks. Anyone who has followed it is way up. 

Now the model has locked in on NC Central vs. North Dakota State. We can tell you it is leaning over, and it has an against-the-spread pick that cashes in over 50 percent of simulations. That one is only available at SportsLine.

The model has factored in North Dakota State's shooting prowess. The Bison have set a school record for 3-pointers made in a season. Through 33 games, they've made 315 shots from behind the arc, surpassing the previous record of 294 set in 2017-18. Their average of 9.5 3-pointers made per game ranks 33rd in the country.

Junior guard Vinnie Shahid is one of the team's best long-range bombers. Shahid, who leads the team in scoring (12.8), has made 60 3-pointers this season (second most on the team) and is shooting 36.4 percent from behind the arc. He was five of nine from beyond the 3-point arc in the Summit League Tournament.

But just because the Bison have been red-hot from behind the arc this season doesn't guarantee that they will cover the NC Central vs. North Dakota State spread in the 2019 First Four on Wednesday. 

The model also knows the Eagles are playing their best ball of the season. In the MEAC Tournament, they knocked off the conference's top two seeds -- Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T -- to win the automatic bid. Senior center Raasean Davis, who leads the team in scoring (14.6) and rebounding (8.9), was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after scoring eight points and grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds in the title game.

Behind Davis, North Carolina Central cleans up on the glass. The Eagles out-rebound their opponents by 6.5 per game, good for 17th in the country.

So who wins North Dakota State vs. North Carolina Central? And which side of the spread can you bank on in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the North Dakota State vs. NC Central spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that's up more than $4,000 on top-rated college basketball picks the past two seasons.