The James Madison Dukes will travel to Henderson Center to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd in their home opener. The game begins at 7:30 pm ET on Friday, Nov. 27.
The Thundering Herd got blown out by Morehead State 85-61 on Tuesday. James Kelly had a solid performance, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks for Marshall. The Dukes are coming off a 106-74 win against Eastern Mennonite on Tuesday. Winston Grays III had a good game for James Madison, recording seven points, seven assists, and two steals.
Marshall is a slim one-point underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 150 points. The Thundering Herd enter the game with records of 0-2 Straight Up (SU) and 1-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Opposing offenses have been stifled by the Thundering Herd, who allow a Division I-low field goal percentage of only .464.
Over on the other bench, the Dukes head into the game with records of 1-4 ATS and 3-3 SU. The James Madison defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .483 shooting from the field to its opponents. James Madison may be taking trips to the free throw line early and often with the Thundering Herd averaging 24.5 fouls per game, one of the highest marks in Division I.
Marshall and James Madison have not played one another in a regular season matchup in recent years.
Predictions: SU Winner – JMU, ATS Winner – JMU, O/U – Over
Notes
Marshall is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
Marshall is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
Marshall is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The James Madison Dukes have the nation’s top defense, with a defensive rating of 113.2. The Marshall Thundering Herd have an offensive rating of 88.0 (ranked 330th).
The Marshall Thundering Herd average 76.7 possessions per game and .880 points per possession, while the James Madison Dukes earn fewer possessions (66.5) but more points per possession (1.176).
The Marshall Thundering Herd average an effective field goal percentage of 42.7% this season. The James Madison Dukes have split their games this season (3-3) when opponents have an eFG% of 42.7% or greater.
On average, Marshall attempts 30.0 three pointers and James Madison attempts 25.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Marshall Thundering Herd are winless at 0-2 while the James Madison Dukes are even at 3-3.
Ranked first, Marshall averages a forced turnover percentage of 17.6% this season. When the James Madison Dukes suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this, the team is winless with a 0-1 record.
