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Old Dominion Monarchs vs Marshall Thundering Herd Picks and Predictions – Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Old Dominion heads to Huntington for a Tuesday night conference matchup with Marshall at the Cam Henderson Center, with tip set for 7:00 PM ET. These teams know each other well, and that familiarity usually tightens the betting angles because coaching staffs have a clear picture of what the opponent wants to take away. The market still makes Marshall a solid home favorite, which tells you oddsmakers expect the Herd’s scoring profile and home-court edge to matter more than the “conference game chaos” factor.
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Old Dominion enters this spot trying to stabilize late-season form and avoid another night where short scoring droughts snowball into a double-digit hole. Marshall’s job is simpler: protect home floor, keep pace where it wants it, and avoid the sloppy possessions that let underdogs hang around. This is also one of those totals where you can get to the number fast if the game turns into free throws and early offense, but you can also stall out quickly if one side can’t create clean looks in the half court.
The first meeting matters for context, but the bigger betting question is what version of each team shows up right now. Old Dominion has had a hard time stacking complete forty-minute games, while Marshall has looked more consistent in spurts, especially when it’s forcing the issue offensively and getting the crowd involved with quick runs.
Old Dominion Monarchs vs Marshall Thundering Herd Odds
These are the current betting lines for Tuesday night, and bettors should monitor updated college basketball odds as tip approaches. You can compare numbers and track movement using the latest college basketball odds.
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Dominion Monarchs | +231 | +6.5 (-108) | Over 159.5 (-113) |
| Marshall Thundering Herd | -309 | -6.5 (-118) | Under 159.5 (-107) |
Old Dominion Monarchs Betting Form
Old Dominion comes into this matchup as the underdog, and that price is largely about offensive consistency. The Monarchs have had too many stretches where they can’t generate high-quality shots without burning clock, and that’s a problem against a team that can score in bunches at home. From a betting standpoint, Old Dominion’s cover path is usually built on two things: getting a respectable shot on most possessions and keeping the turnover damage down. If the Monarchs are giving away live-ball mistakes, they’re basically donating points to a favorite that does not need help building separation.
The other angle with Old Dominion is how they manage pace. When the Monarchs are at their best, they’re not letting games turn into track meets where each miss becomes a sprint the other way. That matters in this matchup because a +6.5 ticket looks a lot better in a game that lives in half-court possessions and late-clock shots, not in a game where both teams are racing to 80. If you’re trying to frame Old Dominion’s recent results through a betting lens, use the Old Dominion stats and results to see whether their competitiveness has been driven by defense, shot-making, or simply slower tempo.
Availability also matters more for underdogs because they can’t absorb missing minutes. If Old Dominion is down a primary ball handler, the turnover risk spikes. If they’re short in the frontcourt, it shows up on the glass and at the foul line, which is how favorites cover without even shooting well. Before you bet the Monarchs, check the Old Dominion injury report so you’re not backing a compromised rotation in a road spot.
Marshall Thundering Herd Betting Form
Marshall is priced as the better team here for a reason, and it starts with offensive ceiling. The Herd have a higher-scoring profile and more ways to create points quickly, especially at home where rhythm and pace tend to be steadier. As a -6.5 favorite, you’re betting Marshall to win the “run game” at least once or twice: string together stops, get out in early offense, and create the kind of six-point swing that forces Old Dominion to chase.
Home form matters in a matchup like this because it impacts tempo control. Marshall doesn’t need to play fast on every possession, but it does need to keep the game from bogging down into long empty stretches where the underdog can reset defensively and shorten the game. The Herd’s best covers usually come when they’re valuing possessions, taking care of the ball, and turning rebounds into quick pressure on the rim. If you want to see how Marshall has been trending and what their scoring environment looks like in similar spots, the Marshall schedule and stats page gives you a clean snapshot of how they’ve been performing across recent games.
The one thing bettors always have to account for with a mid-sized home favorite is late-game management. Marshall can play well for 32 minutes and still fail to cover if it gets loose with the ball late or leaves points at the line. That’s why rotation stability matters. If the Herd are healthy and can keep defensive intensity through the final media timeout, they’re far more likely to close the door on a backdoor cover. Make sure you check the Marshall injury report before betting the favorite, because one missing creator can turn a comfortable lead into a sweat in the final minute.
Old Dominion Monarchs vs Marshall Thundering Herd Matchup Breakdown
This matchup is about tempo and shot quality first, then turnovers and free throws. Old Dominion’s best chance to hang around is dragging the game toward half-court execution, where every possession is a mini-battle and scoring comes in smaller chunks. Marshall’s best chance to cover is getting the game into a more open rhythm, creating early-clock looks, and forcing Old Dominion to play faster than it wants.
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Turnovers are the swing factor that can decide both the side and the total. If Old Dominion protects the ball and forces Marshall to score over set defense, the Monarchs can keep this within a couple possessions deep into the second half. If Old Dominion coughs it up live, those are the easiest points on the board for the home favorite, and that’s how a tight conference game turns into a double-digit margin without warning.
Rebounding and foul dynamics matter here because they create hidden possessions and “free” points. If Marshall is winning the glass and getting second-chance opportunities, it can cover -6.5 even with an average shooting night because the shot volume advantage becomes real. If Old Dominion can rebound defensively and avoid fouling, it keeps the game in a range where +6.5 has value and the underdog has a chance to trade baskets late.
Late-game execution is the final layer. If Marshall leads by 8 to 12 with four minutes left, Old Dominion is going to be hunting quick shots and extending the game with fouls. That creates two things bettors should anticipate: a higher chance of late points and a higher chance of a backdoor cover if the favorite gets passive offensively. The team that stays organized in the last six minutes usually decides the ticket.
Old Dominion Monarchs vs Marshall Thundering Herd Predictions and Best Bets
My lean is Marshall on the spread. The Herd are the more reliable scoring team in this matchup, and they’re at home in a spot where a focused performance should produce a margin. Laying -6.5 is not asking for a blowout, it’s asking for Marshall to win the key stretches of the game and avoid the late mistakes that keep underdogs alive.
Old Dominion’s case is very real at this number, but it requires a cleaner offensive night than they’ve consistently delivered. The Monarchs can cover if they keep turnovers down, rebound well enough to limit second chances, and avoid the kind of three-minute scoring drought that gives Marshall a cushion. The issue is that you’re betting several things to go right at once on the road, and Marshall’s price reflects the idea that Old Dominion won’t check every box.
The total at 159.5 is the tricky part because it sits in a range where game script matters more than raw pace. If Marshall gets loose in transition and Old Dominion is forced to chase, you can get to 160 quickly, especially if the final two minutes turn into free throws. The Over path is also helped if Old Dominion can score efficiently enough to prevent Marshall from slowing down late.
The Under has a clear path too. If Old Dominion succeeds in turning this into a half-court game, and if either team hits a rough shooting stretch, 159.5 becomes a tough climb without an unusually high free throw count. In a matchup where the underdog wants to shorten the game, it’s reasonable to expect stretches where possessions are longer and points are harder to find.
I’m still prioritizing the side because Marshall’s edge is more repeatable than trying to predict the exact scoring environment at this number. If the Herd handle the ball and maintain defensive pressure, the cover is there more often than not.
Best Bet: Marshall Thundering Herd -6.5 (-118).
NCAAB Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
If you’re building a card on a busy college slate, it helps to compare matchups side by side and see where the market is pricing tempo, efficiency, and late-game variance. A good starting point is today’s college basketball picks, where you can track how different games are being handicapped and which numbers are worth chasing versus passing.
This time of year also creates opportunities in futures markets, especially when conference races tighten and national narratives start pushing prices. If you want that broader context alongside nightly betting, keep an eye on John Wooden Award odds and predictions and monitor the national picture through college basketball championship odds.
Most importantly, long-term profit comes from process: timing, bankroll discipline, and consistently betting numbers that make sense for the matchup. If you want to sharpen the framework behind your daily plays, the concepts in advanced betting strategies translate well to college hoops when variance spikes and every possession matters more.
