Colonial Athletic foes will clash when the James Madison Dukes (19-8) take on the Northeastern Huskies (14-13) at JMU Convocation Center. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18.
The Dukes were beaten by UNC Wilmington 78-68 the last time they played. Winston Grays III had a solid performance, recording 15 points, five rebounds, and one assist for James Madison. The Huskies, meanwhile, are coming off a 70-60 win against Drexel in their last outing. David Walker shot 6 for 8 and led in scoring with 21 points.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Dukes won the first game 75-63. Ron Curry was a standout player in the game, producing 22 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, and four three-pointers.
The Dukes have gone 19-8 Straight Up (SU) and 13-11 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 2-8 ATS over their last 10 games. The Dukes have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 69.1 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 75.3 points per game. James Madison is excellent from the perimeter with 238 three-pointers made (8.0 per game), the 26th-most in the country. James Madison’s defense can be considered one of the best in the country. The Dukes allow a .394 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the country. An area where the Dukes are particularly strong is defensive rebounding where they average 28.6 per game, 20th in Division I.
Across the court, the Huskies have records of 10-14 ATS and 14-13 SU. Northeastern has done particularly well ATS over its past 10 matchups, going 7-3. The Huskies are an excellent long-range shooting team with 237 three-point shots made (8.0 per game), ranking 30th in Division I.
With the Dukes’ last win against Northeastern, James Madison moved closer to evening up its record against Northeastern. It now stands at 4-6 SU over their most recent meetings. The Huskies also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. Over the last five matchups, Northeastern held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice. James Madison performed this feat once.
Predictions: SU Winner – NE, ATS Winner – NE
Notes
Northeastern averages 72.6 points per game, placing the team just 146th in the nation. James Madison ranks 75th in points allowed, giving up 68.1 points per game.
Ranked 76th, the James Madison Dukes have an offensive rating of 110.6. The Northeastern Huskies rank 211th with a defensive rating of just 104.8.
The Northeastern Huskies average a field goal percentage of 44.1% this season. The James Madison Dukes have split their games this season (2-2) when opponents have a FG% of 44.1% or greater.
The James Madison Dukes and the Northeastern Huskies both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. James Madison is 113th and 62nd in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Northeastern is 183rd and 101st in these categories.
Northeastern ranks 86th in assists, recording 14.9 per game. James Madison performs worse at 246th with 12.5 assists per game.
James Madison, the 55th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 39.1 rebounds per game. Northeastern does worse, ranked 288th with 33.6.
Northeastern makes an average of 6.6 steals per game. James Madison has a winning 9-4 record when it allows at least 6 steals.
