Bellarmine Knights vs Jacksonville Dolphins Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Jacksonville vs Bellarmine NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Louisville.

Jacksonville vs Bellarmine Prediction

Betting on today's Dolphins and Knights game? Catch the action at Knights Hall in Louisville, KY, as the Knights hosts this showdown at 6:30 ET on ESPN+. Jacksonville is favored by -5.5 in this Atlantic Sun conference showdown. The game's over/under is currently at 142.5 points.

Jacksonville vs. Bellarmine Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Jacksonville Dolphins at Bellarmine Knights
Where: Louisville at Knights Hall
Date: Thursday, January 9th
Betting Odds JAX -5.5, JAX -256 | BELLA +200 O/U 142.5

Dolphins Preview: Can the Dolphins Pull Off a Win at Louisville?

Jacksonville Dolphins Recent Game/Games

Jacksonville improved to 5-7 on the season with a convincing 68-44 win over Austin Peay on Saturday. Playing at home, the Dolphins entered the game as 6-point favorites and covered the spread with ease.

Jacksonville led 27-19 at halftime and then dominated the second half, outscoring the Governors 41-25. The game’s total points of 112 fell well short of the 130.5 O/U line.

Dolphins Offense Breakdown

Jacksonville put up 68 points in their last game, shooting 46.2% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 50%, with a strong performance from beyond the arc, hitting 45.5% on 5-of-11 shooting. They also connected on 75% of their free throws, going 15-of-20 from the line.

The Dolphins grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and dished out 9 assists. Robert McCray led the team with 15 points and 4 assists, while Zach Bell, LJ Thomas, and Tate McCubbin each added 12 points. Bell shot 71.4% from the field, while Thomas struggled, hitting just 27.8% of his shots.

Dolphins Team Defense

Despite Jacksonville's defensive efforts, they couldn't slow down their opponent, allowing 44 points on 46% shooting from the field. The Dolphins gave up 19 two-point baskets on 41 attempts, a 46% success rate for the opposing team.

From beyond the arc, Jacksonville's defense allowed 5 threes on 11 attempts, with the opponent shooting 45%. The Dolphins also sent them to the free-throw line 20 times, where they converted 15 for 75%. Jacksonville conceded 11 offensive rebounds in the game.

Knights Preview: Do the Knights Have What it Takes at Home?

Bellarmine’s season struggles continued with a 71-65 loss to Central Arkansas on Saturday, dropping their record to 1-12. The Knights entered the game as +4.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

Despite leading 31-30 at halftime, Bellarmine was outscored 41-34 in the second half. The game’s total points of 136 fell short of the 144.5 O/U line.

Knights Offense Breakdown

Bellarmine managed 65 points in their last game, shooting 43.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52.6%. They connected on 33.3% of their three-point attempts, going 10-for-30, while hitting 55.6% of their two-point shots.

Layne Taylor led the way with 29 points, hitting 5-of-14 from deep, while Elias Cato was highly efficient, shooting 87.5% overall and 66.7% from three. Billy Smith also contributed 21 points, knocking down 5-of-12 from beyond the arc.

Knights Team Defense

Bellarmine's defense gave up 71 points, with their opponents shooting 40% from the field on 22 of 55 attempts. They allowed 12 two-point baskets on 21 attempts, a 57% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Bellarmine's opponents went 10 for 34, hitting 29% of their three-point shots. They also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 27 times, where they made 17, shooting 63%. Bellarmine gave up 12 offensive rebounds.

Dolphins vs Knights Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last three road games, Jacksonville has an ATS record of just 0-3. However, their overall record was 0-3 while averaging 61 points per game.
Across their three previous home games, Bellarmine has an ATS mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-3 while averaging 62 points per game.
As the betting underdog, the Knights have an ATS mark of just 1-4 in their last five games. Bellarmine posted a straight up mark of 0-5 in these matchups.
Jacksonville has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 2-1 SU and 2-1 ATS in their last three games.