The James Madison Dukes will go for the season sweep when they take on the Northeastern Huskies in a Colonial Athletic Association matchup on Thursday night. The Dukes (12-7, 3-5), who have lost two in a row and four of five, are coming off an 85-69 loss to Delaware on Saturday. The Huskies (6-15, 0-10), who have lost 11 straight, dropped an 81-63 decision at Charleston on Saturday. James Madison, who will be leaving the conference for the Sun Belt next season, beat Northeastern 89-66 in the first meeting on Jan. 11. The Dukes will be without graduate student Takal Molson for the rest of the season after he sustained a knee injury against Drexel last week.
Tipoff from Matthews Arena in Boston is set for 7 p.m. ET. Northeastern leads the all-time series 23-9, and has won five of the last six meetings in Boston. The Huskies are 1.5-point favorites in the latest James Madison vs. Northeastern odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 143.5. Before making any Northeastern vs. James Madison picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on JMU vs. Northeastern, and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Northeastern vs. JMU
- James Madison vs. Northeastern spread: Northeastern -1.5
- James Madison vs. Northeastern over-under: 143.5 points
- James Madison vs. Northeastern money line: Northeastern -125, James Madison +105
- JMU: The Dukes are 9-2 against the spread in their last 11 games against a team with a losing straight-up record
- NE: The under is 6-1 in the Huskies’ last seven Thursday games
Featured Game | Northeastern Huskies vs. James Madison Dukes
Why James Madison can cover
The Dukes have three active players averaging 9.8 points or better, led by junior guard Vado Morse. He is averaging 15.1 points, 2.4 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, and is nearly automatic at the free-throw line, connecting on 85.9 percent of his foul shots. He has reached double-figure scoring in 14 games this season, including in each of the last eight. His best effort was a 32-point performance in a 95-94 win over the College of Charleston. He is coming off a 19-point, four rebound game against Delaware.
Also leading the offense for James Madison is senior guard Charles Falden, who averages 10.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Falden has been red hot from the field, connecting on 46.1 percent of his field goals, including 44 percent from 3-point range. He has reached double figures in 11 games, including two of the last three he has played in. His best game was a 21-point, six-rebound and four-assist effort at William & Mary in a 95-91 overtime win on Jan. 15.
Why Northeastern can cover
The Huskies have five players averaging in double digits, including sophomore guard Jahmyl Telfort. He is averaging 13 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, and is hitting on 42.9 percent of his shots from the floor. Telfort has scored 11 points or more in 14 games, including a 17-point performance in the first meeting against James Madison. He has reached double digits in nine of his past 10 games.
Although the Huskies are without graduate guard Tyreek Scott-Grayson, who underwent shoulder surgery last month, Northeastern has been resilient due to a rash of injuries at times and has utilized 14 different starting lineups in 21 games this season. Senior guard Shaquille Walters has been solid and is third on the team, averaging 12.2 points. He is also averaging 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Walters has reached double-figure scoring in 10 games, including in two of the last three. His best scoring output was a 23-point performance against Delaware in an 82-76 overtime loss on Jan. 17.
How to make Northeastern vs. James Madison picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting 143 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s picks at SportsLine.
So who wins James Madison vs. Northeastern? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,400 on its top-rated college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
