James Madison vs Southern Miss College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for Sun Belt Tournament

The No. 9 seed James Madison Dukes (18-14, 9-9 Sun Belt) and the No. 8 seed Southern Miss Golden Eagles (16-15, 9-9 Sun Belt) meet in the Sun Belt tournament Thursday at Pensacola Bay Center, tipping off at 6 p.m. ET.

Before you place your bet on this game at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

James Madison vs. Southern Miss Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Thursday, March 5, 2026
• Game time: 6 p.m. ET
• TV channel: ESPN+
• Location: Pensacola, Florida
• Arena: Pensacola Bay Center

James Madison vs. Southern Miss Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: James Madison win (52.9%)

Take a look at some betting trends for James Madison (-2.5) versus Southern Miss on Thursday. The total is set at 143.5 points for this game.

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James Madison vs. Southern Miss: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• James Madison has covered 13 times in 31 chances against the spread this season.
• Southern Miss is 14-15-0 ATS this year.
• James Madison (3-9) covers a lower percentage of games when it is favored by 2.5 points or more this season (25%) than Southern Miss (8-6) does as a 2.5+-point underdog (57.1%).
• Against the spread, the Dukes have fared worse when playing at home, covering five times in 14 home games, and six times in 15 road games.
• This season, the Golden Eagles are 5-6-0 at home against the spread (.455 winning percentage). On the road, they are 7-8-0 ATS (.467).
• James Madison has nine wins against the spread in 19 conference games this season.
• Against the spread in Sun Belt play, Southern Miss is 9-9-0 this season.

James Madison vs. Southern Miss: Moneyline Betting Stats

• James Madison has been the moneyline favorite in 18 games this season and has come away with the win 11 times (61.1%) in those contests.
• This year, the Dukes have won eight of 12 games when listed as at least -137 or better on the moneyline.
• Southern Miss has a 6-14 record in games it was listed as the moneyline underdog (winning 30% of those games).
• The Golden Eagles are 4-11 (winning only 26.7% of their games) when they have played as a moneyline underdog of +114 or longer.
• James Madison has an implied victory probability of 57.8% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.

James Madison vs. Southern Miss Head-to-Head Comparison

• James Madison scores 74.4 points per game (222nd in college basketball) and gives up 73.5 (172nd in college basketball) for a +29 scoring differential overall.
• Justin McBride's 15.7 points per game lead James Madison and rank 240th in the nation.
• Southern Miss scores 73.9 points per game (235th in college basketball) and concedes 73.5 (172nd in college basketball) for a +15 scoring differential overall.
• Tylik Weeks' 18.8 points per game leads Southern Miss and ranks 61st in college basketball.
• The Dukes prevail in the rebound battle by an average of 3.0 boards. They are recording 33.7 rebounds per game (91st in college basketball) compared to their opponents' 30.7 per contest.
• Eddie Ricks III tops the Dukes with 5.7 rebounds per game (360th in college basketball play).
• The Golden Eagles come out on top in the rebound battle by an average of 3.1 boards. They are recording 33.4 rebounds per game (102nd in college basketball) compared to their opponents' 30.3.
• Djahi Binet's 8.2 rebounds per game lead the Golden Eagles and rank 66th in the country.
• James Madison scores 98.2 points per 100 possessions (169th in college basketball), while allowing 97 points per 100 possessions (235th in college basketball).
• The Golden Eagles rank 259th in college basketball with 94.2 points scored per 100 possessions, and 139th defensively with 93.6 points conceded per 100 possessions.

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