@SidekicksPicks CBB Play of the Day - 2/24

Sidekicks' Picks of the Day are rolling at 5-1 and he's got moneyline parlay locked in for Thursday's games.

The Marshall Thundering Herd travels to Murfsfreeboro to take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders for a 7:00 pm tip. The Herd are 11-17 overall, 3-9 on the road. They won their last outing vs Southern Miss and have won 3 of their last 4, 4 of their last 17 games. They have won 2 road games in a row, but are 2-7 in their last 9 road games. Marshall is 7th in Conference USA with a 4-11 conference record.

The Blue Raiders are having a tremendous season with a 20-7 record, 13 at home. They are on a 7 game winning streak and have won 11 of their last 12. Middle Tennessee is in 1st place in Conference USA with an 11-3 record.

Marshall has a subpar offense that averages 74.8 ppg (84). The Herd are one of the worst 3pt shooting teams in the country, averaging 29.4% from behind the arc (345). On the other side of the ball, Marshall has been atrocious on defense. They surrender 76.6 ppg (335), allow teams to shoot 45.2% (290), and 34.8% from 3 (255). Marshall also struggles on the defensive glass, grabbing 34.6 rpg (330).

Middle Tennessee has been average on defense, allowing teams to score 67.1 ppg (122). Their strength on defense is their ability to guard the perimeter. They hold teams to 31.7% from 3 (89). On the offensive side is where the Blue Raiders excel. They average 75.1 ppg (77), shoot 45.8% from the floor (87) and are fantastic from the charity stripe (73).

• The Herd are 1-6 ats in their last 7 games as a road underdog
• The Herd are 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 Thursday games
• The Herd are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600
• The Herd are 1-4 ats in their last 5 games vs MTSU
• The Herd are 2-7 ats in their last 9 road games
• The Herd are 1-5 ats in their last 6 road games vs MTSU
• The Raiders are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win
• The Raiders are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a favorite
• The Raiders are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games
• The Raiders are 10-2-2 ATS in their last 14 home games

The Blue Raiders have been one of the hottest teams in the country, especially from home. With this win they solidified winning their conference. I think MTSU is the stronger defensive and offensive team. They will jump on a struggling Marshall team early and hold on to win their 8th straight!

This portion of my article will be straight to the point. We all know how amazing the Zags have been! Their opponents today are having a great season, but let's be honest, they are nowhere close to the caliber of team that Gonzaga is. I am going to take Gonzaga to win the 1st half. They are one of the best 1st half teams in the country, averaging 44.5 points and giving up 30.4. San Francisco averages 38.5 points in the first half and surrenders 30.1.

The first time these two teams squared off against each other, Gonzaga won the 1st half 36-33. San Francisco played them pretty tight, but I think Gonzaga is too dominant and will have their way with San Francisco from the tip.

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