Marshall vs Southern Mississippi Picks and Prediction – 12/21/2024

On Saturday, the Marshall Thundering Herd (7-5) face off against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (4-7) at the Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Get ready for the college basketball season with our college basketball picks.

Southern Miss comes into this matchup on a three-game losing streak and has dropped three of their last five games. In their last game, the Golden Eagles faced a narrow 69-65 defeat against Lamar, with Neftali Alvarez making a significant contribution by scoring 21 points. Throughout this season, the top scorer for Southern Miss has been Denijay Harris, who maintains an average of 14.8 points per game. Neftali Alvarez follows as the team's second-highest scorer, averaging 12.3 points per game thus far. Harris also leads the team in rebounding, pulling down an average of 9.2 rebounds per game. On the playmaking front, Andre Curbelo shines as the team's assist leader, averaging 4.8 assists each contest. In recent performance trends, the Golden Eagles have struggled defensively, conceding an average of 72.2 points over their last five matches. As they prepare to face Marshall in Hattiesburg, Southern Miss is keen to break their current three-game losing streak. The team overall averages 71.3 points scored per outing this season.

Marshall enters this game on a two-game winning streak and has won three of their last five games. In a commanding 93-63 victory against West Virginia Wesleyan, Mikal Dawson stood out for the Thundering Herd by netting 19 points. Currently leading Marshall in terms of scoring, Dawson is averaging 12.9 points per game this season. Following closely behind is Obinna Anochili-Killen, who has been the team's second-highest scorer with an average of 11.8 points per game. Nate Martin has been crucial on the boards for Marshall, leading the team with an average of 7.7 rebounds per game. Providing playmaking support, Dezayne Mingo has been instrumental in guiding the team's offense, averaging 5.1 assists per game. Over their last five matchups, Marshall has managed to score an average of 80 points per game. As they aim to push their winning streak to three games, they are also striving to improve their record to three games above the .500 mark. Overall, the Thundering Herd averages 78.3 points per game this season.

Marshall's performance this season includes seven victories out of twelve games in total, yet they haven't managed to secure a victory on the road. In fact, they have suffered defeats in all four away games, primarily due to their poor defensive play when not playing at home. Meanwhile, Southern Miss is eager to exploit Marshall's vulnerability on the road. With an impressive record at home, Southern Miss aims to secure their fifth win out of six home games this season. Final Score Prediction, Marshall Thundering Herd win 74-73.