James Madison vs Southern Mississippi Prediction 1/31/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The James Madison Dukes and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles meet Saturday in college basketball action from Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg. Here’s a James Madison vs Southern Miss prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best James Madison vs Southern Miss pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

James Madison Dukes Betting Preview

The Dukes posted a spotty 2-3 run in their first five games this year, then beat Towson, Florida International, Omaha, NC Central and Norfolk State in the next six outings. James Madison lost to Old Dominion, Georgia Southern, Arkansas, Marshall, App State, Marshall again and South Alabama during a 2-7 run, then beat Texas State. Over the first 21 games that made for a 10-11 record in the books.

JMU played Troy on Thursday. In that one the Dukes put together a nice game. James Madison was up 31-28 by the end of the first half, then closed on a 42-36 advantage on the way to a dominant 73-64 victory on the road.

Southern Miss Golden Eagles Betting Preview

Over on the Southern Miss side, they managed to go 5-3 in their first eight games this year with losses to Buffalo, South Carolina and Grambling in that time. The Eagles would lose four of the next six games, but then took wins over LA-Monroe, Louisiana, Texas State and LA-Monroe again in succession. After losses to Troy, Texas State, Georgia State and Coastal Carolina the Eagles had an 11-11 run through 22 games.

In their Thursday outing versus App State, the Eagles were competitive in the first half, closing it out with a 29-27 deficit. Southern Miss fell further behind from there however, hitting a 41-36 disadvantage on the way to a 70-63 loss at home. Tylik Weeks topped the team on 21 points with eight rebounds while Djahi Binet doubled up on 11 points with 12 rebounds in the losing effort.

James Madison Dukes @ Southern Miss Golden Eagles Betting Trends: January 31, 2026

Why the Southern Miss Golden Eagles will win

• Southern Miss has won 18 of its last 19 day games at Reed Green Coliseum against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• James Madison has lost nine of its last 12 road games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the James Madison Dukes will win

• Southern Miss has lost each of its last five games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• James Madison has won seven of its last nine day games against the Sun Belt Conference.

James Madison vs Southern Miss Prediction

I’ll stick with James Madison. The Dukes put together a nice performance on the road versus a pretty good Troy team this week, hitting 48.1 percent from the field and 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from outside along with a 41-29 rebounding advantage. The 12 turnovers and spotty 65 percent (13-of-20) from the line were just about the only things to complain about. That gives JMU consecutive wins (following three straight losses) with a combined 155 points scored in that pair.

As for Southern Miss, they shot just 36.2 percent from the field and 17.6 percent (3-of-17) from 3-point range in their latest loss at home versus App State. The Eagles have lost five straight games now, giving up 69 or more points in all of them while scoring fewer than 68 points themselves in each.

Andrew Jett's Pick: James Madison Dukes -1