As the college basketball season heats up, teams like Texas Southern and Jackson State are scrambling to pick up quality wins to bolster their tournament hopes. With both teams sitting near the bottom of the NET rankings - Texas Southern at 344 and Jackson State at 348 - every game is a must-win, especially in conference play. The Tigers of Texas Southern are favored to win by 3.5 points, according to FanDuel, and the CHD Scout prediction has them taking the game by 6.1 points, giving Jackson State just a 28.6% chance of winning.
Texas Southern's recent form has been a mixed bag, with two wins followed by a loss in their last three games. Meanwhile, Jackson State has been inconsistent as well, with a win-loss-win record over the same period. Neither team has been able to crack the code against top-tier opponents, with Jackson State sporting a dismal 0-7 record in Quad 1 games and Texas Southern faring no better at 0-4.
CHD Scout Prediction
Texas Southern
81
Jackson State
75
Given the low stakes in terms of tournament implications - this game is classified as a Quad 4 matchup - the focus shifts to conference standings and bragging rights. With Texas Southern's slightly better record in SWAC play, they'll look to assert their dominance on the road. In the end, I predict Texas Southern will take the game 81-75, leveraging their slight edge in recent form and overall performance to outlast Jackson State. The Tigers' ability to adapt and overcome on the road will be the deciding factor in this SWAC showdown.