Andrew Lange
James Madison at Drexel
Play: Over 139
All 10 teams make the Colonial tournament which doesn't place a lot of meaning on tonight's James Madison-Drexel game. The Dukes have an outside shot at avoiding a first round game but need help while the Dragons appear headed for the 10th seed. Under first-year head coach Zach Spiker, Drexel has attempted to play at a faster pace. The results have been hit and mostly miss but compared to last year, pace and offensive efficiency is up. The Dragons have consistently played games well over tonight's total of 139 but not of late. In their last three games, no team hit the 70-point mark as all three went under the total. In fact, Drexel has gone under the total in five straight. As for the last three, Towson and Elon sport the CAA's top two defensive efficiency marks and Delaware is super-slow and likes to play zone. The average game score in those games was 130 but the pace was by no means slow (69.7 possessions avg.). James Madison has played slow for much of the season but isn't afraid to trade buckets with the faster teams in the CAA. In four games against up-tempo UNC Wilmington and William & Mary, the average game score was 157.8 ppg and average pace 70 possessions. UNC and W&M are far better offensively compared to Drexel but also a bit more proficient on the defensive end. The average total during Drexel's five-game run of unders was 155. Tonight's is 139. Decent value and a loose atmosphere puts us on the over.