Upcoming Match-ups

Marshall vs Western Kentucky Odds, Lines and Spread

John Perrotto

by John Perrotto in College Basketball

Updated Jan 14, 2021 · 6:45 PM PST

Charles Bassey defending a player in the low post
Louisville center Steven Enoch (23) is defended by Western Kentucky center Charles Bassey (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Nov. 29, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
  • Western Kentucky is a 2.5-point home favorite over Marshall on Friday in Conference USA play
  • Hilltoppers’ center Charles Bassey is averaging 16.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots a game
  • Odds, lines and the spread on Western Kentucky-Marshall can be found below with game analysis

Two Conference USA teams will try to nudge their league records over .500 when Marshall visits Western Kentucky at 5pm ET Friday at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green.

Marshall is 7-2 overall and 1-1 in C-USA after winning three of its last four games. The Thundering Herd has also been the winning side in two its last three games against the spread but is the underdog in this matchup.

Two losses in its last three games have dropped Western Kentucky to 9-4 overall and 2-2 in the conference. The Hilltoppers have also lost four straight games ATS.

Marshall vs Western Kentucky Odds

Team Moneyline Spread Total
Marshall +120 +2.5 (-112) Over 150.5 (-110)
Western Kentucky -142 -2.5 (-108) Over 150.5 (-110)

Odds taken Jan. 14 at FanDuel

Layoff for Marshall

Because of COVID-19 issues, Marshall will be playing for the first time Jan. 2 when it won at Louisiana Tech 80-73 as a two-point favorite.

Junior guard Taevion Kinsey led Marshall with 20 points. It marked the fifth time in the last six games that Kinsey scored at least 20.

That continued a fine season for Kinsey. He is filling many columns on the stat sheet, with averages of 21.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists to go with a 66.8 effective field goal percentage and 70.9 true shooting percentage. Kinsey is also playing 92% of the Thundering Herd’s minutes.

Senior forward Mikel Beyers added a season-high 17 points while sophomore guard Andrew Taylor nearly notched a triple-double as he finished with a season-high 13 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Marshall won despite off nights by senior guards Jarrod West and Jannson Williams. West is averaging 13.4 points, 6.8 assists and 3.1 steals a game while Williams has averages of 10.0 points and 2.1 blocked shots.

West also has a 33.2 assist rate and 4.7 steal percentage and helps Marshall play at a fast tempo. The Thundering Herd’s average possession time of 14.5 seconds is the 10th-quickest in the nation.

Bassey Big for WKU

Western Kentucky also played Louisiana Tech in its last game, losing 63-58 in Bowling Green on Saturday as a 5.5-point favorite.

Junior center Charles Bassey is having a big season for the Hilltoppers, averaging 16.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots a game after missing the majority of last season with a broken leg. His 35.8 defensive rebounding percentage is the third-highest mark in the nation.

Against Louisiana Tech, he finished with 14 points, 13 boards and three blocks.

Senior guard Taevion Hollingsworth scored a game-high 16 points and pulled down six rebounds. He is averaging 14.8 points and 1.5 steals.

Western Kentucky did a good job of shutting down Louisiana Tech guard Kaleb Ledoux. He scored six points, seven below his season average, and missed all four 3-point attempts.

However, the Hilltoppers shot just 35.2%

Even Series

While the teams have split their last eight games, Western Kentucky went 2-0 against Marshall last season. The Hilltoppers won 64-60 on the road as 1.5-point underdogs and 91-84 at home as 5.5-point favorites.

YouTube video

Hollingsworth scored 20 points and made four steals in the first game, then had 18 points and six assists in the second meeting. Also in that second game, Kinsey scored 16 points for Marshall and West recorded 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Marshall has been playing well lately and has a good chance of turning the tables in this game.

Pick: Marshall +2.5 (-112)

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