Teams battling through adversity will meet for the second time this season when the James Madison Dukes face the Northeastern Huskies in Colonial Athletic Association action on Thursday. James Madison rolled to an 89-66 win on Jan. 11 as junior guard Vado Morse poured in 20 points. The Dukes (12-7, 3-5), who are 3-1 on the road this year, have lost five of their last eight games, including four of five. The Huskies (6-15, 0-10), who are 4-5 at home, have dropped 11 in a row since rattling off three straight wins at the end of November and early December.
The game from Matthews Arena in Boston is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET. James Madison is averaging 78.5 points per game, while Northeastern averages 64.9. 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
Why James Madison can cover
Redshirt freshman forward Justin Amadi, who scored 12 points against Northeastern in the first meeting, is among the Dukes' leading scorers on the year. Amadi is averaging 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He is connecting on 64 percent of his field-goal attempts and 66.1 percent from the foul line. Amadi, who has reached double-figure scoring eight times, has scored 10 or more in five of his last seven games, including a 24-point and 10 rebound effort at William & Mary on Jan. 15. He has registered three double-doubles this season.
Also playing a big part in James Madison's success is redshirt sophomore forward Julien Wooden, who scored 15 points in the first meeting with the Huskies. Wooden averages 7.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He is hitting on 42 percent of his shots from the floor and 80 percent of his free throws. He has scored 10 or more points six times, including a season-high 16 points against Carlow University on Nov. 10.
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.
