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The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will begin a mini two-game series against the Marshall Thundering Herd to finish off the regular season. What can we expect in tonight’s first meeting? Here is all you need to know for your college basketball picks.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. Marshall Thundering Herd
Wednesday, March 02, 2022 – 07:00 PM EST at Cam Henderson Center
Betting Preview
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have been an extremely streaky team. After starting the Conference-USA slate with a record of 2-6, WKU is currently 9-7 in conference play after winning seven of its last eight games.
Now they'll prepare for a home-and-home series against the Marshall Thundering Herd. Tonight's game will be on the road, but a couple of wins for Western Kentucky would keep them in the top half of the Conf-USA bracket when the conference tournament begins.
Meanwhile, Marshall is currently 4-12 in conference play and will be at the bottom of the league no matter how the final two games go.
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On the defensive end, Marshall has struggled. Opponents are shooting an effective field goal percentage of 52% while teams are hitting 35.4% from deep and 51.4% from inside the arc.
The Thundering Herd only forces 18.1% turnovers and allows 28.7% offensive rebounds this season. Both are below average numbers. Another below-average number includes fouling, which is higher than the norm in college basketball.
Western Kentucky, on the other hand, is shooting an effective field goal percentage of 53.2%, knocking down 36.% of threes and 51.9% of twos.
The Hilltoppers won't dominate on the offensive glass, but against Marshall, there will be an opportunity to increase the number of second chances that the Hilltoppers can get.
Also, Western Kentucky will see the foul line more frequently in this game. The Hilltoppers already get to the line at a high rate and should continue against Marshall, while shooting 72.5% from the charity stripe.
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Western Kentucky is currently first in the nation in FTA/FGM. The Hilltoppers are defending without fouling and forcing some tough looks, especially inside the arc. Opponents are shooting 35% against Western Kentucky from deep, but just 49% from inside the arc.
Marshall, on the other hand, has been awful from three-point range this season, hitting just 29.3% of threes, while shooting at an average rate. Inside the arc, Marshall has been much better, hitting 53.2% of shots, but the Thundering Herd won't have anything else on the offensive end but their inside shooting.
Western Kentucky is earning 19.4% turnovers and should force more turnovers in this game. And while the Hilltoppers haven't been amazing on the defensive glass, Marshall isn't a massive threat on the offensive glass, earning just 26.9% of offensive rebounds.
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Prediction
Even on the road, I like Western Kentucky to finish the job. The Hilltoppers should be able to win both games against Marshall and will be much heavier favorites at home when Saturday rolls around.
So let's take the discounted price at the top-rated sportsbooks, on the road, with Western Kentucky as they look to finish the season strong.
NCAAB Pick: Western Kentucky (-135) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
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