James Madison vs. South Alabama Sun Belt Tournament Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Sunday, March 5, 2023

The Sun Belt conference tournament continues Sunday as the No. 4 seed James Madison Dukes (22-10, 12-6 Sun Belt) face off against the No. 8 seed South Alabama Jaguars (18-15, 9-9 Sun Belt) at Pensacola Bay Center, starting at 6:00 PM on ESPN+. James Madison is a 1-point favorite to move one step closer to an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament bracket. The matchup has an over/under of 140.5.

James Madison vs. South Alabama Odds

• James Madison odds to win: -115
• South Alabama odds to win: -105
• Spread: James Madison (-1)
• Total: 140.5

James Madison vs. South Alabama Promo Codes

Game Time and Information

• Date: Sunday, March 5, 2023
• Time: 6:00 PM ET
• TV: ESPN+
• Where: Pensacola, Florida
• Venue: Pensacola Bay Center

Who Will Win James Madison vs. South Alabama?

James Madison and South Alabama Betting Trends, Records Against the Spread

James Madison has a 16-9 record against the spread when favored by 1 point or more this season.

South Alabama has a 9-5 record against the spread this season when an underdog by 1 point or more.

These two teams average 152 points per game combined, 11.5 more than the over/under of 140.5.

Opponents of these two teams have averaged a combined 132.8 points per game, 7.7 fewer than the point total in this matchup.

James Madison’s average point total in outings this year is 148.8, 8.3 points higher than the total in this game.

The average point total for the Jaguars this year is 4.5 points fewer than this game’s over/under.

So far this season, the Dukes have compiled a 19-11-0 record against the spread.

The Jaguars are 20-11-0 against the spread this year.

James Madison Stats & Insights

James Madison is outscoring opponents by 13.2 points per game with a +421 scoring differential overall. It puts up 81 points per game (15th in college basketball) and gives up 67.8 per outing (112th in college basketball).

James Madison wins the rebound battle by an average of 4.1 boards. It is grabbing 34.8 rebounds per game (35th in college basketball) compared to its opponents’ 30.7 per outing.

The Dukes hit 8.2 three-pointers per game (90th in college basketball) at a 35.5% rate (109th in college basketball), compared to the 6.8 per game their opponents make at a 30.7% rate.

James Madison averages 98.6 points per 100 possessions on offense (59th in college basketball), and allows 82.6 points per 100 possessions (eighth in college basketball).

Offensively, the Dukes have performed better in home games this year, putting up 86.4 points per game, compared to 74.9 per game away from home.

South Alabama Stats & Insights

South Alabama is outscoring opponents by six points per game, with a +197 scoring differential overall. It puts up 71 points per game (190th in college basketball) and allows 65 per outing (44th in college basketball).

South Alabama is 269th in the country at 30.2 rebounds per game. That’s 2.7 fewer than the 32.9 its opponents average.

South Alabama makes 2.8 more threes per game than the opposition, 7.7 (139th in college basketball) compared to its opponents’ 4.9.

South Alabama ranks 120th in college basketball with 96 points scored per 100 possessions, and 82nd defensively with 87.9 points conceded per 100 possessions.

At home the Jaguars are scoring 73.1 points per game, 5.2 more than they are averaging away (67.9).

James Madison Key Players to Watch

The scoring leader for the Dukes this season is Terrence Edwards, who averages 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and two assists per game.

Mezie Offurum is James Madison’s leading rebounder, grabbing 5.3 per game, while Takal Molson is its best passer, distributing 2.4 assists in each contest.

Vado Morse leads the Dukes in three-point shooting, knocking down an average of 2.1 shots per game from beyond the arc.

Molson and Alonzo Sule lead James Madison on the defensive end, with Molson leading the team in steals averaging 1.5 per game and Sule in blocks averaging 0.7 per contest.

South Alabama Key Players to Watch

Isaiah Moore collects 18.5 points and tacks on 4.7 assists per game, putting him at the top of the Jaguars’ leaderboards for those statistics.

Kevin Samuel’s stat line of nine rebounds, 10.3 points and 0.5 assists per game helps him grab the top spot on the South Alabama rebounding leaderboard.

Owen White is dependable from distance and leads the Jaguars with 2.2 made threes per game.

South Alabama’s leader in steals is Moore with 1.3 per game, and its leader in blocks is Samuel with 2.6 per game.

James Madison vs. South Alabama Prediction

• Pick ATS:

  James Madison (-1)
  

• Pick OU:

  Over (140.5)
  

• Prediction:
  James Madison 71, South Alabama 70

How to Bet on James Madison vs. South Alabama

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