James Madison Dukes vs Marshall Thundering Herd Prediction, 1/17/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: James Madison Dukes vs Marshall Thundering Herd

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026

Location: Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, WV

TV: ESPN+

The Marshall Thundering Herd (11-7) are welcoming the James Madison Dukes (9-8) at Cam Henderson Center on Saturday.

The James Madison Dukes faced off with Old Dominion and earned the victory with a final of 70-69 in their last game. James Madison ended the game having earned a 49.0% FG percentage (24 out of 49) and made 2 out of their 11 three-point attempts. From the free throw line, the Dukes buried 20 of their 25 attempts for a rate of 80.0%. When it comes to grabbing rebounds, they compiled 40 with 7 of them being of the offensive sort. They also recorded 11 assists for the matchup as well as forcing 6 turnovers and earning 3 steals. When it comes to defending, James Madison allowed the other team to go 37.1% from the field on 23 of 62 shooting. Old Dominion earned 8 assists and had 11 steals in the game. Additionally, Old Dominion snagged 27 rebounds (6 offensive, 21 defensive), but didn't have a block. Old Dominion finished the game at 70.0% when shooting free throws by burying 14 of 20 tries. They buried 9 of 23 attempts from distance. In regard to fouls, the Dukes walked away with 17 and Old Dominion accounted for 19 fouls.

Justin McBride is someone who came through in the game. He ended up scoring 29 points on 9 of 17 shooting. He saw the court for 29 mins and grabbed 7 boards. He finished the contest at 52.9% from the floor and earned 1 assist.

Get all of our NCAA Parlay Picks

James Madison enters this one with a mark of 9-8 on the year. They are averaging 74.8 points per contest (232nd in Division 1) while going 44.6% from the field. The Dukes are connecting on 34.4% on three-point attempts (148 of 430) and 71.6% from the free throw line. As a unit, James Madison is grabbing 36.5 boards per contest and is sitting with 225 assists on the campaign, which has them ranked 267th in college hoops in terms of passing. They are losing possession via turnover 11.8 times per game and as a group they commit 20.1 fouls per game.

Defensively, the Dukes are forcing their opponents into 9.2 turnovers per contest and they draw 16.6 fouls. They concede 33.7% on shots from beyond the arc and they are 260th in college hoops in PPG allowed (76.5). The Dukes are allowing an opponent shooting percentage of 43.5% (435 of 1,000) and they concede 36.0 rebounds per game as a group. They rank 102nd in Division 1 in giving up assists with 214 surrendered so far this season.

When they last stepped on the court, the Marshall Thundering Herd took a defeat with a final score of 85-83 when they played Coastal Carolina. The Thundering Herd snagged 19 defensive boards and 10 offensive rebounds totaling 29 in this matchup. They also turned the ball over 6 times, while getting 10 steals in the game. Coastal Carolina committed 17 personal fouls in the game which got the Thundering Herd to the free throw line for a total of 16 tries. They were able to knock down 10 of those for a percentage of 62.5%. In terms of shots from distance, Marshall converted 9 of 17 tries (52.9%). When the final whistle was blown, the Thundering Herd shot 32 for 68 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 47.1%. The Thundering Herd permitted Coastal Carolina to convert 30 of their 53 tries from the field which left them shooting 56.6% in this matchup. They shot 45.5% from 3-point land by shooting 10 of 22 and ended up shooting 15 of 17 from the charity stripe (88.2%). In reference to how they attacked the glass, Marshall allowed Coastal Carolina to grab 29 overall (4 offensive).

Wyatt Fricks pitched in for the Thundering Herd in the matchup. He racked up 21 points in his 35 mins of playing time and added 1 assist for the contest. He buried 9 of 16 for this game giving him a field goal percentage of 56.3%, and earned 10 rebounds.

Marshall has a win-loss mark of 11-7 for the season. The Thundering Herd commit 20.6 personal fouls every game and they shoot 72.9% from the free throw line. They are getting an assist 17.2 times per contest (52nd in the country) and they are losing possession via turnover 12.6 times per game. Marshall has scored 1,433 pts so far this year (79.6 per contest) and they pull in 38.4 rebounds per contest. When it comes to offense, the Thundering Herd are shooting 46.0% from the field, which ranks them 147th in the country.

The Thundering Herd on the defensive end are ranked 246th in college hoops in PPG given up with 75.8. They are forcing 12.0 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 41.9% from the floor (92nd in Division 1). The Marshall defense surrenders 32.5% on 3-point attempts (141 of 434) and their opposition knocks down 71.8% of their free throw shots. They relinquish 12.2 dimes and 35.7 boards per game, which is 83rd and 249th in those categories on the defensive end.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take James Madison

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.