CAA foes will collide when the Northeastern Huskies (9-6, 2-1 CAA) take on the James Madison Dukes (4-11, 0-3 CAA) at Matthews Arena. The games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 140 points with Northeastern set as a 10-point favorite. Action begins at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 7, 2018.
James Madison Dukes at Northeastern Huskies Odds Preview
In the Dukes last matchup, they fell to the Hofstra Pride, 87-81. Stuckey Mosley put together a good performance for James Madison, leading both teams in scoring with 37 points on 12-for-24 shooting. Hofstra did a terrific job of converting from the charity stripe (19-27; 70.4 percent). James Madison, meanwhile, forced the Pride into a turnover percentage of 22.0 (above their season average of 15.1).
The Huskies come in on a high note after topping the Elon Phoenix in their last outing, 72-60. Northeastern rallied around Vasa Pusica, who was the games leading scorer with 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting. Northeastern played a nearly perfect game. They had a ridiculous offensive rebounding percentage of 36.7 (above their season average of 25.0) and a turnover percentage of 18.9 (worse than their season average of 18.9). Elon was 18.2 and 28.1, respectively, for those same stats.
The upper-echelon offense of Northeastern will battle against the mid-tier defense of James Madison. The Huskies currently rank 65th in effective field goal percentage (0.547), while the Dukes are 313th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.545). The Huskies should have the advantage on that side of the ball.
Of James Madison’s 14 games that accepted bets, 10 have finished over the O/U total, while 6 of Northeastern’s 11 games have finished under the O/U total. The Huskies hold the sizable advantage straight up (SU) (9-6 vs. 4-11), but the Dukes have been superior against the spread (ATS) (6-8 vs. 5-6).
These teams have already met once this season. The two teams combined for 151 points in that game, which was over the projected point total of 141. The Huskies won 81-70, covering as 3-point favorites. Northeastern did a great job of getting and making free throws (25-32; 78.1 percent). James Madison, meanwhile, had a much better turnover percentage (9.6 vs. 19.2). Pusica scored a game-high 31 points.
James Madison Dukes vs. Northeastern Huskies Odds Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Northeastern, ATS Winner – James Madison, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Huskies rank second in blocks allowed per game (1.6) while the Dukes rank 94th (3.4).
- James Madison averages 8.7 steals per game, which ranks 18th in the nation. Northeastern ranks 86th in steals allowed per game (6.1).
- Northeastern is 3-1 ATS at home, while James Madison is 4-4 ATS on the road.
- In 8 road games, the Dukes have 5 overs and 3 unders.
- In 4 home games, the Huskies have 3 unders and 1 over.
- Northeastern ranks 36th in assists allowed per game (11.0) while James Madison ranks 203rd (15.3).
- The Huskies rank fifth in three pointers allowed per game (15.5) while the Dukes rank 169th (22.9).
- Northeastern ranks 22nd in rebounds allowed per game (30.8) while James Madison ranks 137th (35.0).
Betting Trends:
- Northeastern is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, James Madison is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
- The Huskies average margin of victory in their last five games has been 3.0, down from 3.8 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Dukes have scored an average of 73.2 points per game (2.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 78.2 points per game (0.2 above their season average).
