The Marshall Thundering Herd (21-14) will be 5-point favorites in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament at Henderson Center when they challenge the Hampton Pirates (18-16). The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 174 points and action begins at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 2, 2019.
Hampton Pirates at Marshall Thundering Herd Betting Odds
Both teams defeated their last opponent. The Thundering Herd defeated the Presbyterian Blue Hose 83-66, while the Pirates beat the NJIT Highlanders 82-70.
Hampton dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a ridiculous offensive rebounding percentage of 38.9 (above their season average of 27.8) and a free throw rate of 0.224 (below their season average of 0.283). NJIT was 24.0 and 0.145, respectively, for those same stats. Marshall, meanwhile, dominated nearly every facet of their game. They had a solid free throw rate of 0.317 (above their season average of 0.217) and a turnover percentage of 10.2 (better than their season average of 14.7). For those same stats, Presbyterian was 0.123 and 17.6, respectively. C.J. Burks played a pivotal role for Marshall with 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Greg Heckstall, meanwhile had a good game for Hampton, putting up 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Of the Pirates’ 30 games with betting action, 17 have finished over the O/U total. Hampton comes into the game with records of 18-16 straight up (SU) and 17-12-1 against the spread (ATS).
Contrary to Hampton, a little over half of Thundering Herd games have finished under the O/U total. Marshall has a solid 21-14 SU record, but they are just 13-22 ATS.
The Pirates’ Greg Heckstall has been playing at a high level over his last five games, averaging 12 points,9.2 rebounds,3.6 assists per game. Meanwhile, Jon Elmore has averaged 21 points,8.4 rebounds,6.8 assists,2.4 steals during that same time frame for the Thundering Herd.
There should be a fair amount of transition action in this contest that features a pair of the nation’s more up-and-down teams. Marshall ranks sixth in possessions per game (75.9) and Hampton is 19th (73.9). Moreover, the Pirates commit the 12th-fewest errors in the nation (turnover percentage of 15.0 percent), while the pesky defense of the Thundering Herd causes the 43rd-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 21.6 percent).
Hampton Pirates vs. Marshall Thundering Herd Pick
Free College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Marshall, ATS Winner – Hampton, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Hampton ranks 24th in rebounds per game (39.0) while Marshall ranks 308th in rebounds allowed per game (41.8).
- The Thundering Herd rank 29th in blocks allowed per game (2.5) while the Pirates rank 157th (3.5).
- Marshall ranks 83rd in assists per game (14.4) while Hampton ranks 210th in assists allowed per game (14.0).
- The Thundering Herd average 28.6 three pointers per game, which ranks 10th in the NCAA. The Pirates rank 256th in three pointers allowed per game (24.5).
- Hampton ranks 16th in steals allowed per game (4.9) while Marshall ranks 166th (6.5).
Bettings Trends:
- The Thundering Herd have outscored opponents by an average of 9.0 points in their last five games. On the season, Marshall has been defeated by an average of 0.7 points.
- During their last five games, the Pirates have scored an average of 78.0 points per game (3.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 73.2 points per game (2.9 below their season average).
