The set-up: Outright victory? I'm not calling for that. But I do expect this one to be a lot closer than what this spread would suggest. Charlotte is 1-3 and Davidson is 3-2. The 49ers loss to Appalachian State last time out. Davidson comes in off victories over UNLV and Georgia Southern. The Wildcats have been competitive this year, but consistency from game-to-game has been a concern in the early going. Davidson is also just 2-5 ATS in its last seven after an ATS victory.

The pick: Charlotte's win/loss record is not indicative of how it's played. It's gotten progressively better and more competitive with each outing, losing 66-57 to East Carolina, 76-65 to Georgia State, before then beating SC State 78-40, before then falling 61-58 to the Mountaineers last time out. Note that the 49ers are also 11-4-1 ATS in their last 16 following a straight-up loss. No outright, but look for the hungrier 49ers to cmofortably sneak in through the back door down the stretch.

This is a 10* MID-MAJOR MAULING on Charlotte.