The James Madison Dukes (14-0) travel to face off against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (7-7) on Saturday, January 6th. This game will be played at Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 3:00 ET.
James Madison Dukes vs Southern Miss Golden Eagles
The James Madison Dukes Are Coming Off A Win
James Madison comes into today’s game with a perfect 14-0 record and are favored by 9.5 points. So far, the Dukes have been favored in 11 of their 14 games.
On the road, James Madison is 8-0 and has an average scoring margin of +12.2 points per game. Over their last ten road games, the Dukes are 9-1.
When looking at James Madison’s ATS record this season, they are 10-3. On the road, they have an ATS mark of 7-1. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Dukes are 7-3 vs. the spread.
James Madison’s over/under record for the season is 7-5-1, and today’s line of 159 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (153.2). So far, eight of their games have finished with less than 159 points, including their last three games which have averaged 146 points per game.
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles Are Coming Off A Win
Southern Miss comes into today’s game as 9.5 point underdogs and have an overall record of 7-7. In their last game, they took down Georgia State by a score of 79-73. So far this season, the Golden Eagles are 2-4 at home and have gone 2-3 in their last five home games.
Over their last 10 games at home, Southern Miss is 5-5. On the year, they have been the underdog in six of their 14 games and have gone 2-4 in those matchups. Overall, the Golden Eagles have an average scoring margin of -3.7 points per game at home.
As the underdog, Southern Miss has an ATS record of just 2-4 this season. Their overall ATS mark is 3-9, and at home, they are 1-5 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Golden Eagles have gone just 3-7 vs. the spread.
This season, the over/under record for Southern Miss games is 8-4. So far, the average scoring total in their games is 146.7 points, which is 6.1 points higher than the average over/under line of 140.5. Today’s over/under line of 159 is higher than the average scoring total in their games this year and the average scoring total in their last three games is 155 points.
James Madison Offense Breakdown
In their latest game, James Madison offense put up 68 points against Louisiana-Lafayette. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 41.4% and made 5 threes. The team’s top scorer is Terrence Edwards, who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 17.3, while T.J Bickerstaff also maintains a PPG average of 16 leading up to the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrence Edwards (G) | 17.3 | 5.2 | 3.1 |
| T.J Bickerstaff (F) | 16.0 | 8.5 | 1.6 |
| Noah Freidel (G) | 10.9 | 4.7 | 1.5 |
Southern Miss Offense Breakdown
The Southern Miss offense is coming off a game in which they scored 79 points vs. Georgia State. Overall their field goal percentage was 45.6% while connecting on 6 threes. The team’s scoring leader is Austin Crowley, who holds an average of 15.4 as they head into today’s matchup. Additionally, Victor Hart is averaging 13.3 points per game this season.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Crowley (G) | 15.4 | 3.6 | 3.1 |
| Victor Hart (F) | 13.3 | 5.7 | 1.5 |
| Donovan Ivory (G) | 12.4 | 4.2 | 1.5 |
James Madison Team Defense
In terms of defense, James Madison is currently on par with the NCAA average for points allowed, giving up an average of 71.2 points per game. In their previous game vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, the Ragin’ Cajuns finished with a field goal percentage of 41% and a total of 61 points vs. James Madison.
Southern Miss Team Defense
So far, the Golden Eagles’ defense is ranked 145th in the country at 71.5 points per contest. The Southern Miss defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 73 points and allowed Georgia State to connect on 6 threes.
Dukes vs Golden Eagles Trends
- In their last five road games, James Madison has averaged 84 points per game while allowing 68 . The team’s record in this stretch was 5-0 while going 4-1 vs. the spread.
- Through their last ten home games, Southern Miss has an ATS record of just 3-7. However, their overall record was 4-6 while averaging 68 points per game.
- Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Golden Eagles have gone 2-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-3.
- Through their last three games as the favorite, the Dukes have an ATS record of 2-1 and a straight up mark of 3-0.
Dukes vs Golden Eagles Prediction
As the underdogs with a spread of +9.5, we recommend going with the Golden Eagles on the point spread. We not only see them covering the spread but also have a strong likelihood of winning this one outright, especially if you’re seeking a higher payout on the moneyline.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 159 and given that our model is projecting 143 points between the teams, we like the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 6, 2024 James Madison Dukes, Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Uncategorized