The Marshall Thundering Herd (11-10) will have their chance to beat the Conference USA’s best team when they challenge the UAB Blazers (17-4) at Henderson Center. Action begins at 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 30 and will air on CCS.
The Thundering Herd enter this game hoping for similar success after defeating Middle Tennessee 82-66 on Thursday. Ryan Taylor was a key piece with 14 points, six rebounds, and two blocks. The Blazers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 69-62 loss at the hands of Western Kentucky on Thursday. William Lee had a team-high 20 points.
When considering eFG%, the Blazers figure to have a substantial advantage on the offensive end. They rank 31st in the nation in that category at 54.5%, whereas the porous defense of Marshall ranks 290th in eFG% defense with opponents connecting at a clip of 51.8%.
The Thundering Herd have gone 11-10 Straight Up (SU) and 13-7 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 9-1 ATS. The Thundering Herd are one of the best in Division I in terms of three-point field goals, making 9.0 shots per game from beyond the arc. Marshall has the 39th-most assists in Division I, averaging 16.2 per game. Marshall’s defenders rank 44th in Division I in steals with 7.8 per game.
On the other side, UAB has a SU record of 17-4 and an ATS record of 9-7. UAB is one of the top shooting teams in the country, making .483 of its shots from the floor. The Blazers are an unselfish team with an average of 19.0 assists per game, ranking fifth in Division I. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Blazers have one of the best opponent three-point field goal percentages in the country at .303.
These conference rivals meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. UAB won the last game in the matchup, moving its SU record against Marshall to 8-2 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. Furthermore, with a 7-2-1 record, UAB has the advantage ATS. UAB held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Marshall never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – UAB, ATS Winner – UAB
Notes
Marshall is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Marshall’s last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Marshall’s last 6 games at home.
Marshall is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Marshall’s last 5 games when playing UAB.
Marshall is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against UAB.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Marshall’s last 5 games when playing at home against UAB.
Marshall is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 82.6 points per game (ranked 16th). UAB allows 67.0 points per game (ranked 65th).
UAB has allowed an average of 68.9 points per away game this season. Marshall averages 86.0 points per home game, ranking 23rd in scoring.
Ranked 41st, the UAB Blazers have an offensive rating of 113.7. The Marshall Thundering Herd rank 280th with a defensive rating of just 108.2.
The UAB Blazers have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking 23rd in the nation with a FG% of 48.3%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Marshall Thundering Herd have an underachieving 1-6 record.
The Marshall Thundering Herd rank lower for their field goal percentage (100th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (71st), but the UAB Blazers have a better FG% ranking (23rd) than eFG% ranking (31st).
UAB ranks among the best in the nation in assists at fifth (19.0 assists per game). Marshall is ranked 39th with 16.2 assists per game.
UAB, the second-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 6.6 per game. Marshall ranks lower at 220th with 3.0.
Marshall ranks 210th in offensive rebounds, while UAB ranks 66th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Marshall forces a turnover rate of 18.1%. When UAB turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a superb 7-2 record.
