The FIU Golden Panthers will travel to JMU Convocation Center to take on the James Madison Dukes in their home opener. The game begins at 3:30 pm ET on Friday, Nov. 20.
The Dukes were beaten by West Virginia 86-73 on Monday. Shakir Brown finished with 21 points to lead the game. The Golden Panthers, meanwhile, are coming off a 67-51 win against Florida Memorial on Monday. Adrian Diaz played well, recording 17 points and 14 rebounds to claim his second double-double of the season.
This one isn’t expected to be close when James Madison, a considerable 10-point favorite, takes on FIU. The matchup currently has a 142-point Over/Under (O/U). The Dukes have the same record (1-1) both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS). James Madison has been steady from the free throw line, shooting a superb .792.
The Golden Panthers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 34th in Division I at 1.70. The FIU defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking second in Division I with only 45.0 points allowed per game. The FIU defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .256 shooting from the field to its opponents. The Golden Panthers are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an impressive 9.0 steals per game.
These two will be facing off in their first head-to-head clash of the season. When they last met the Dukes were winners, bringing their SU record to 1-0 over FIU. The Dukes also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 1-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – FIU, ATS Winner – FIU, O/U – Under
Notes
James Madison is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of James Madison’s last 5 games.
James Madison is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games at home.
James Madison averages 80.0 points per game, placing the team just 125th in the nation. FIU ranks second in points allowed, giving up 45.0 points per game.
On average, James Madison has 66.6 possessions per game and scores 1.202 points on each possession. FIU has both fewer possessions (65.0) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.062).
The FIU Golden Panthers average an effective field goal percentage of 51.9% this season. The James Madison Dukes are a perfect 1-0 in games where opponents have an eFG% of 51.9% or greater.
FIU ranks 70th in assists, recording 17.0 per game. James Madison performs worse at 244th with 12.0 assists per game.
FIU, the 43rd-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 6.0 per game. James Madison does worse, ranked 345th with .5.
The James Madison Dukes average 5.0 steals per game. The FIU Golden Panthers are undefeated at 1-0 when they allow at least 5 steals.
