James Madison vs Marshall Prediction 1/9/25 College Basketball Picks

The James Madison Dukes and the Marshall Thundering Herd meet Thursday in college basketball action from Cam Henderson Center. Here’s a James Madison vs Marshall prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best James Madison vs Marshall pick. We will examine:

The James Madison Dukes’ recent form and player performance

The Marshall Thundering Herd’s recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the James Madison Dukes

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Marshall Thundering Herd

Recent betting trends in games played between James Madison and Marshall

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the James Madison vs Marshall game

James Madison Dukes Betting Preview

The Dukes’ season got off to a middling .500 start through their first dozen outings, however, the team has been able to straighten themselves out lately. James Madison beat Ohio, Mary Baldwin, UIC, Jacksonville State, East Tennessee State, and Utah Valley during that opening run. The losses otherwise came courtesy of Norfolk State, Towson, UC San Diego, George Mason, Wake Forest, and South Alabama. Since then, it’s been a three-game win streak for the Dukes. Those victories have come against Midway University, Southern Miss, and Arkansas State for a 9-6 record so far this season.

In the Arkansas State game on Saturday, the Dukes came out of halftime looking up at a 39-33 deficit on the scoreboard. James Madison woke up after the break however, rolling to a 34-23 advantage for a comeback victory 67-62 in the end. Tops in scoring was Xavier Brown with 18 points, five boards, and two assists. The only other player on the team to finish in double-figures was Elijah Hutchins-Everett with 17 points, six rebounds, and two steals.

Marshall Thundering Herd Betting Preview

Over on the Marshall side, they’ve had a highly inconsistent season this year as well. The Herd posted a 5-5 run through their first 10 games, taking wins over Davis & Elkins, Southern Indiana, Bellarmine, South Carolina State, and Morehead State in that time. Marshall would otherwise lose to Toledo, Purdue, Western Kentucky, UNC Wilmington, and Wright State. Since then it’s been another .500 run over the last half dozen outings. Marshall has beaten Ohio, West Virginia Wesleyan, and Texas State in that time with losses to Southern Miss, Elon, and Troy mixed in. The result is an 8-8 record through 16 games so far.

Matched up against Troy over the weekend, the Herd were looking great after halftime on a 31-19 advantage. Marshall was blitzed in the second half however, giving up a 39-26 deficit for a 58-57 defeat. The only player on the team to finish with double-digit points was Obinna Anochili-Killen with 17 points and nine boards alongside five blocks. Nate Martin chipped in nine points with five rebounds, and Jakob Gibbs had eight bench points in 19 minutes.

Why the Marshall Thundering Herd will win

• Marshall has won each of its last seven night games at Cam Henderson Center.
• James Madison has lost three of its last four night games following a home win.

Why the James Madison Dukes will win

• James Madison has won each of its last 11 night games against Conference opponents.
• Marshall has lost 10 of its last 12 games against Conference opponents.
• Marshall has lost the first half in nine of its last 12 night games against Conference opponents.

James Madison vs Marshall Prediction

I’ll probably lean toward Marshall here. Also probably not touching it. Neither team inspires much confidence right now, and the Herd are coming off a rough loss. In that Troy defeat, Marshall shot just 39.3 percent from the field, 18.8 percent (3-of-16) from 3-point range, and 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from the line. The 14 turnovers didn’t help matters either. The bad news is that the Herd has fewer than 67 points in each of their last three losses. The good news is that they’ve been within two points in two of those defeats.

As for JMU, they didn’t shoot all that well (40.7 percent) in their latest comeback win over Arkansas State and coughed up 15 turnovers for 18 Red Wolves points along the way. The Dukes have been pretty erratic scoring-wise lately, with fewer than 68 points in three of the last five (a 3-2 run). If Marshall can find a good offensive groove I think the Herd can keep a cover/win pace, but I’m likely staying away from this one.