James Madison vs. Louisville Prediction, Odds & Expert Picks: Tonight's College Football Week 2 Best Bets
Tonight's college football action gets underway with James Madison visiting Louisville, and I break it down with my James Madison vs. Louisville prediction as part of our college football picks. Kickoff from L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Ky., is at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2).
Continuing with our college football predictions for Week 2, Louisville has bounced back from an early dip to trade regularly as a favorite of at least 14 points. I think the Dukes will get the job done on the road - they're one of my favorite college football upset picks. However, I'm taking the points here, thanks in part to a George Pettaway touchdown.
When you're ready for a nightcap, Philip Wood has his Eastern Washington vs. Boise State prediction for the night's last game.
🏈 James Madison vs. Louisville prediction
College football expert picks made Thursday; odds subject to change.
- Moneyline pick: Louisville (-550 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Against the spread pick: James Madison +14.5 alternate spread (-140 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Over/Under pick: Over 56.5 (-105 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐
📝 James Madison vs. Louisville preview & best bet
Track the latest college football scores for line movement and matchup info.
👑 James Madison +14.5 alternate spread (-140) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
James Madison opened as a 15.5-point underdog and has been bet down under two touchdowns. While I would stick back its +13.5 point spread with four stars of confidence, I am opting to bet the Dukes at a line higher than the key number of 14 and don’t mind paying up slightly at FanDuel for its 58.33% implied probability to do so.
When these two teams met in 2022, James Madison was in its first season as an FBS school. In the short three years since, the Dukes have established themselves in the conversation of being one of the best Group of Five programs and have finished in the top 50 of the SP+ final rankings in each of their three seasons as an FBS school.
JMU is projected as the Sun Belt East champion who could make a run at a College Football Playoff appearance, in large part because of the ability of dual-threat quarterback Alonza Barnett III. He was only cleared for non-contact drills in the spring after suffering a lower leg injury last year, but any lingering concerns were erased in his 160-yard performance with both rushing and passing touchdowns in the team’s Week 1 victory.
James Madison has one of the most underrated running back corps in the country. George Pettaway, Wayne Knight, and Jobi Malary combined to average 6.0 yards per carry on 22 rushing attempts per game last year, and the trio combined for a near 10-yard per carry average last week. If the Dukes stay close enough in this game early, they can cause fits for the Louisville defense with an efficient running game.
A $10 winning wager through FanDuel’s -140 alternate spread odds nets $7.14 in profits.
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💰 Best James Madison vs. Louisville player prop bet
Our college football player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market across legal sportsbooks in your area.
🔥 George Pettaway anytime touchdown scorer (+138) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
James Madison’s team total O/U is 21.5. If it scores three or more touchdowns, lead running back George Pettaway has a great chance to score early given the Dukes’ likely plan to pound the rock.
Pettaway did not find the endzone in last week’s 45-10 win over Weber State, but he did turn a team-high 10 carries into a game-high 99 rushing yards. I expect him to find success against a Cardinals defense that lost 14 of the 19 defenders who logged 200-plus snaps from last year’s team.
Pettaway scored touchdowns in three of the final six games last season and added receiving scores in two others earlier in the year, making him the team’s most versatile running back.
Head to bet365 for this wager, as its +138 odds are a much better value than the +110 odds (carrying a 47.62% implied probability) on the low end of the market. A winning $10 wager at the best price would return $13.80 in profits.
Our Gabe Henderson targets Louisville running back Isaac Brown with his college football anytime touchdown scorer predictions for Week 2.
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📊 James Madison vs. Louisville odds: Week 2
College football odds update live in real time.
📈 James Madison vs. Louisville opening odds
- Moneyline: James Madison +450 | Louisville -625
- Spread: James Madison +15.5 (-110) | Louisville -15.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: Over 57.5 (-110) | Under 57.5 (-110)
🔍 James Madison vs. Louisville odds analysis
The early line movement on the point spread suggested there is heavy sharp action backing the underdog Dukes. James Madison went from a 15.5-point opening-line underdog to +13.5, despite garnering only 40% of the wagers thus far. While there has been a slight rebound, the Dukes are still trading as a 14- or 14.5-point underdog as of Friday morning.
A similar reverse line movement happened with the total, dropping a point from 57.5 to 55.5 despite 65%.
🔢 James Madison vs. Louisville stats
Season stats courtesy of Sports Reference.
| James Madison (1-0) | Statistic (per game) | Louisville (1-0) |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | Points | 51 |
| 10 | Points allowed | 17 |
| +1 | Turnover margin | -3 |
| 145 | Passing yards | 313 |
| 313 | Rushing yards | 229 |
| 84 | Passing yards allowed | 76 |
| 64 | Rushing yards allowed | 74 |
| 6.5 | Net yards per play | 8.6 |
🚑 James Madison vs. Louisville injury report
📺 James Madison vs. Louisville game info
- When: Friday, Sept. 5
- Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
- Where: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium (Louisville, Ky.)
- How to watch: ESPN2
❓ James Madison vs. Louisville FAQs
Who is favored to win James Madison vs. Louisville?
Louisville is a -550 moneyline betting favorite to beat James Madison.
What is the spread for James Madison vs. Louisville?
Louisville is a 13.5-point favorite over James Madison across our best sports betting sites.
What is the Over/Under for James Madison vs. Louisville?
The O/U for the James Madison vs. Louisville game is at 56.5, with both sides of the total juiced to -110.
What are the best bets for James Madison vs. Louisville?
My best bets for James Madison vs. Louisville are to back the underdog Dukes on the alternate point spread, and for running back George Pettaway to score a touchdown.
When is the James Madison vs. Louisville game?
The James Madison vs. Louisville game is on Friday night, kicking off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
How do college football odds work?
When betting on college football, the point spread shows how many points the favorite needs to win by in order to cash the bet. For example, a favorite of -3 must win by more than 3 points to cover the spread, while an underdog at +3 must win outright or lose by fewer than 3 points to cover the spread.
Moneyline odds represent the payout for picking the outright winner (+200 means a $100 bet wins $200, while -200 means a $200 bet wins $100). Over/Unders let you wager on whether the combined total will be higher or lower than the set number.
You can determine the payouts and implied probabilities for any wager - or convert odds to different formats - with our odds converter.
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