After a series of wild midweek college football games on Tuesday and Wednesday, we’ve got two more fun contests on Thursday night, both of which have tight spreads. Let’s dig into today’s James Madison-Marshall odds as we make our predictions and pick the best college football Week 8 bet! As always, make sure to check out OddsShopper’s bet shopping pages to ensure you get the best deal on the market.
James Madison-Marshall Pick & Betting Prediction | College Football Week 8
James Madison-Marshall Betting Odds
Odds via bet365
James Madison: -170 | Marshall: +150
James Madison -3.5: -110 | Marshall +3.5: -110
Over 49.5: -110 | Under 49.5: -110
Expert: Isaiah Sirois
Time: Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. ET
James Madison-Marshall Pick & Prediction
The James Madison Dukes look like one of the best teams in college football, and it’s a shame that they’re ineligible for the postseason. They’ll face the Marshall Thundering Herd on the road this weekend but are road favorites. James Madison was the first team out of this week’s AP Poll, picking up 70 votes but not quite edging out UCLA. The undefeated Dukes deserve plenty of credit, just maybe not a top-25 ranking — they rank 51st in the Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI), 77th on offense and 31st on defense. Meanwhile, Marshall ranks 66th, 87th and 36th.
James Madison could be better against the , but their stifling run defense bodes well for this matchup with a balanced Marshall team. The Dukes have coughed up just 1.4 yards per rush attempt this season, and they lead the FBS in the metric. Marshall runs 48.2% of the time. The Thundering Herd were able to knock off the Dukes last year but needed multiple explosive runs, including a 61-yard run from the since-departed Khalan Laborn. But JMU’s rushing defense has gotten even better, and Marshall’s rushing game has gotten worse.
The Dukes are also the better offensive team, and their ing scheme works. Quarterback Jordan McCloud ranks 12th in ing efficiency (168.1). Last year’s starter, Todd Centeio, ranked fourth (169). James Madison may employ a balanced offense, but the ing game can be explosive when necessary — the Dukes rank 18th in yards per attempt (8.9). Marshall quarterback Cam Fancher ranks 62nd in ing efficiency (135) and the Herd rank 60th in yards per attempt (7.4). Those aren’t bad numbers, but they are bad when compared to what James Madison has put together.
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Again, this is also a revenge spot for the Dukes. Marshall suffered one home loss all of last season, and it came against Marshall. The Thundering Herd picked off Centeio’s backup a whopping four times and still only won by 14 points. Now that James Madison will have its intended starting quarterback under center for this one, I’m excited about backing them to keep this within a field goal. We’re teasing both Tulsa and James Madison to +3.5 for odds of -112 via FanDuel.
James Madison-Marshall Week 8 Pick: Tulsa +3.5/James Madison +3.5 -112 at FanDuel
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