Marshall Thundering Herd vs James Madison Dukes Betting Pick & Prediction 1/20/24

Planning on watching today’s Thundering Herd and Dukes game? Catch the action at Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, VA, as the Dukes hosts this showdown at 6:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this Sun Belt conference game currently have the Dukes as the betting favorite with the over/under line sitting at 159 points.

MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD VS JAMES MADISON DUKES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Marshall Thundering Herd +12.5

This game will be played at Atlantic Union Bank Center at 6:00 ET on Saturday, January 20th.

WHY BET THE MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-69 in favor of the Dukes.
• Even though we have James Madison winning straight-up, we like Marshall at +12.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 159 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.

Will the Thundering Herd Come Through as Road Underdogs?

Marshall comes into this game as a 12.5-point underdog, and they have gone 3-5 as the underdog this season. The Thundering Herd have a 9-10 overall record and are currently on a two-game losing streak.

On the road, Marshall is 4-6 this season, and they are coming off a 91-66 loss to Old Dominion. Over their last 10 road games, the Thundering Herd have gone 4-6.

As the underdog, Marshall has gone 4-4 vs. the spread this season. On the road, the Thundering Herd are 5-5 vs. the spread and have gone 2-1 vs. the spread in their last three road games.

Marshall’s over/under record this season is 5-12-1, and today’s line of 159 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this season (154.3). So far, 14 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 161 points.

In their latest game, Marshall offense put up 66 points against Old Dominion. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 34.4% and made 7 threes. Currently leading the team in scoring is Obinna Anochili-Killen who comes into today’s matchup averaging 17.2. Kamdyn Curfman also heads into the game with a PPG average of 13.3.

Looking at the Marshall defense, they will be looking for a better performance considering they are currently conceding 77.4 points per game (272nd). On average, opposing teams are hitting 7.6 threes per game vs. James Madison. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 32.2%.

Will James Madison Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

James Madison has been dominant at home this season, as they have gone 7-1 and have an average scoring margin of +18.0 points per game. Overall, they have gone 16-2, including a 5-2 record in Sun Belt play. They are coming off an 89-70 win over Louisiana-Monroe.

For the season, James Madison has been favored in 15 of their 18 games, going 13-2 in those contests. Their record as the favorite is part of their 8-2 mark in their last 10 home games. On the year, they have gone 11-0 in non-conference games compared to 5-2 in conference games.

James Madison has an ATS record of 11-6 this season and they are 4-4 vs. the spread at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Dukes have gone 6-4 vs. the spread.

James Madison’s over/under record this season sits at 8-8-1, and today’s line of 159 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (152.9). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 138 points, and their over/under record during that stretch is 1-2. So far, 11 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s line of 159.

The James Madison offense is coming off a game where they scored 89 points against Louisiana-Monroe. They posted a field goal percentage of 50.8% and connected on 16 threes. Offensively, the Dukes have a season long field goal percentage of 48%, which is 72nd in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 207th in percentage and 56th in three-pointers made.

So far, the Dukes’ defense is ranked 123rd in the country at 70.1 points per contest. Against Louisiana-Monroe in their most recent game, the James Madison defense gave up a total of 70 points while allowing Louisiana-Monroe to hit 50% of their shots.