Southern Miss vs Marshall Basketball Prediction & Picks: High-scoring Herd look for key home win

Tonight, two Sun Belt Conference title hopefuls will face off at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, West Virginia as Southern Miss (14-3, 3-1 Sun Belt) visits Marshall (13-4, 2-2 Sun Belt).

Tonight’s matchup between the Golden Eagles and Thundering Herd will be in front of a big audience as well, as it is set for a 9:00 pm ET tip on ESPN2.

Neither of these teams was expected to be among the top championship contenders in the conference, as USM was picked next-to-last in the 14-team conference and Marshall sixth.

But at this juncture of the season, the Thundering Herd (77th) are the highest-rated Sun Belt team at KenPom, while the Golden Eagles (125th) are fourth, with James Madison (91st) second and preseason favorite Louisiana third (122nd).

Who will come out on top tonight in this matchup? Below is our Southern Miss vs Marshall basketball prediction, as well as our picks for the matchup between the Golden Eagles and Thundering Herd.

Southern Miss vs Marshall Odds

Odds are via BetOnline as of Thursday, January 12, 2023, at 5:39 pm ET. This article may also include odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites.

Spread

• Southern Miss +8.5 (-110)
• Marshall -8.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 147.5 (-115)
• Under 147.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• Southern Miss +290
• Marshall -375

Will Kinsey and Taylor Torment Southern Miss?

After winning nine, eight, and seven games in his first three seasons in Hattiesburg, Jay Ladner was expected to have another unsuccessful season.

But thanks to some impact transfers, the Golden Eagles appear set for their first winning season since 2018-19, barring a major collapse from here.

Junior guard Austin Crowley (17.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.5 SPG), an Ole Miss transfer, is the team’s leading scorer and is 15th in the country in steals per game.

And forward Felipe Haase (14.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.8 APG), a Mercer transfer who started his collegiate career at South Carolina, is shooting 48.4% from the field and 44.6% from three.

But can that duo match Marshall’s duo of Taevion Kinsey (20.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.8 SPG) and Andrew Taylor (18.8, 5.1 RPG, 4.5 APG, 2.1 SPG)?

Thanks to that duo, Marshall is 22nd in Division I in scoring at 81.7 PPG.

Offensive Statistics & Metrics for Marshall

• PPG: 81.7 (22nd in Division I)
• FG%: 46.5% (85th)
• 3PT%: 32.2% (269th)
• FT%: 62.1% (352nd)
• Offensive Efficiency: 67th
• Temp: 33rd
• Average Offensive Possession Length: 3rd

The percentages may look a bit rough, but the Thundering Herd are still averaging a lot of points per game in part because they take more shots than anyone in the country (69.7 per game).

And they take more shots than anyone in part because they crash the offensive boards better than anyone in the country (15.1 offensive rebounds per game).

Southern Miss vs Marshall Prediction and Picks

USM vs Marshall Prediction: Marshall to win

USM vs Marshall Picks: Southern Miss/Marshall first half over 69.5 (Best Value: Bovada Sportsbook) & Marshall team total over 77.5 (Best Value: Bovada Sportsbook)

I think the Golden Eagles, who have notable road wins over Vanderbilt (107 NET, so a Quadrant 2 win) and Liberty (68 NET and a Quad 1 win), can hang with the Thundering Herd.

In Crowley, Haase, and DeAndre Pinckney (13.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG), Southern Miss has three good scorers. All three have scored 20+ points at least once this season.

I don’t think they will get the win, but I’m focusing on total picks and staying away from the spread here, much like I am with the Michigan vs Iowa matchup, which also features a high-scoring team favored by a solid margin at home against a team that is 3-1 in conference play.

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