The Marshall Thundering Herd (15-14) will wrap up the regular season on their home court when they square off against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (22-7) at Henderson Center. Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 3.
The Thundering Herd are hoping to rebound after their 83-74 loss to Middle Tennessee in their last game. Ryan Taylor had a solid performance, recording 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists for Marshall. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off an 88-69 win over Rice in their last game. They were led by Alex Hamilton who recorded his first triple-double of the season. He took his game to the next level with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Hamilton has been on fire over the last five games for the Bulldogs, averaging 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.8 three-pointers.
There should be plenty of transition action in this game. Marshall ranks fifth in the nation in possessions per game (77.3 possessions per game), while Louisiana Tech is 32nd (72.9).
The Thundering Herd enter the game with records of 15-14 Straight Up (SU) and 18-10 Against The Spread (ATS). The Thundering Herd come into the game with the fifth-ranked scoring offense in the nation, averaging 84.8 points per game. Marshall is one of the best passing teams in the nation with an average of 16.6 assists per game. The Marshall defense has been shutting down opposing offenses over the past 10 games, only allowing an average of 73.8 points per game, well under their season average of 83.2.
On the other side, the Bulldogs head into the game with records of 11-10 ATS and 22-7 SU. Louisiana Tech performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. They sport the 36th-ranked scoring offense in the country, averaging 79.4 points per game. The Bulldogs average 70.7 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 83.3 points per game during that span. The Bulldogs have one of the best opponent three-point field goal percentages in the country at .305. The Bulldogs have established a reputation of cleaning up the defensive glass with 27.5 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the top teams in the nation.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time the conference foes played, Louisiana Tech won, bringing its SU record to 2-0. The Bulldogs also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 2-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – LaTech, ATS Winner – LaTech
Notes
“Marshall is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Marshall is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 11 of Marshall’s last 16 games “.
“Marshall is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home”.
Marshall and Louisiana Tech both hold winning records of 11-5 against the Conference USA Conference this season.
Louisiana Tech averages 79.4 points per game (ranked 36th). Marshall, on the other hand, allows 83.2 points per game (ranked 259th).
Louisiana Tech scores 76.1 points per away game (ranked 40th). Marshall ranks a poor 232nd in points allowed at home, allowing 75.7 points.
The Marshall Thundering Herd rank 92nd for their offensive rating of 109.7. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have a defensive rating of 96.7 (ranked 32nd).
The Marshall Thundering Herd average a field goal percentage of 46.3% this season. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have a subpar record of 1-5 when opponents have a FG% of 46.3% or greater.
The Marshall Thundering Herd rank lower for their field goal percentage (66th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (40th), but the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have a better FG% ranking (73rd) than eFG% ranking (102nd).
Marshall ranks 26th in assists, registering 16.6 per game. Louisiana Tech performs worse at 119th with 14.3 assists per game.
Louisiana Tech, the 60th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.4 per game. Marshall does worse, ranked 199th with 3.2.
Marshall ranks 231st in offensive rebounds, while Louisiana Tech ranks 42nd in defensive rebounds.
On average, Marshall makes 6.9 steals per game. Louisiana Tech has an outstanding 12-3 record when it gives up at least 6 steals.
