Southern Miss Golden Eagles vs James Madison Dukes Betting Pick & Prediction 10/26/24

ESPN+ will be covering the week nine matchup between the James Madison Dukes and Southern Miss Golden Eagles as they face off at 3:30 ET on Saturday, October 26th. The game is being played at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field in Harrisonburg. The Dukes are the heavy favorite with a -24.5 point spread, and the over/under line is currently set at 54.5 points. Southern Miss enters the game with a 1-6 record, while James Madison is 5-2 on the season.

SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES VS JAMES MADISON DUKES BETTING PICK

The Pick: James Madison Dukes -24.5

This game will be played at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field at 3:30 ET on Saturday, October 26th.

WHY BET THE JAMES MADISON DUKES:

• We have the James Madison Dukes winning this one by a score of 45 to 17
• Not only do we have the James Madison Dukes winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at -24.5
• Look for this game to go over the line of 54.5 points

Will The Southern Miss Golden Eagles Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs

Southern Miss enters Week 9 against James Madison with a 1-6 record and ranks 130th in our CFB power rankings. They have no chance of reaching bowl eligibility this season.

The Golden Eagles have been underdogs in all seven games, going 0-6 in those matchups. Their average scoring margin is -15.9 points per game, and they are 1-5 against the spread.

This week’s over/under line is 54.5 points. Southern Miss games have averaged 52.4 points, with their average over/under line at 53.8 points.

Southern Miss has struggled offensively, averaging just 18.3 points per game, placing them 124th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 9. Their third-down conversion rate is only 24.3%, and they are 111th in rushing, with 104.6 yards per game.

Quarterback Ethan Crawford has 594 passing yards but has yet to throw a touchdown, with three interceptions and a passer rating of 62. Leading rusher Rodrigues Clark has 327 yards and one touchdown, while Larry Simmons leads the receivers with 287 yards.

Southern Miss’s defense has struggled this season, allowing an average of 34.1 points per game. In their recent game against Arkansas State, they gave up 44 points, including three passing touchdowns and 281 rushing yards.

Opponents have averaged 232 rushing yards per game against Southern Miss, while the secondary has allowed 194.9 passing yards per game, ranking 45th nationally.

Are The James Madison Dukes Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?

James Madison enters Week 9 with a 5-2 record and a 100% chance of being bowl-eligible. They are 2-0 at home and rank 46th in our power rankings. The Dukes have been favored in five of their seven games this season.

James Madison’s average scoring margin is +17.4 points per game, and they are 4-2 against the spread. At home, they are 2-0 ATS, and as the favorite, they’ve gone 3-2 ATS.

Their over/under record is 2-4, with an average line of 53 points. This week’s line is set at 54.5, and their games have averaged 53.4 points per contest.

James Madison’s offense is averaging 35.4 points per game, ranking 21st in the nation heading into week 9. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III has thrown for 1,658 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just one interception, giving him a passer rating of 103. The Dukes are 33rd in passer rating nationally and 43rd in passing attempts per game.

Overall, James Madison ranks 84th in our offensive power rankings. They are converting 43.2% of their third downs and averaging 182.6 rushing yards per game. George Pettaway leads the ground game with 445 yards, while Omarion Dollison has 385 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

James Madison’s defense, ranked 20th nationally, has allowed just 18 points per game this season. They’ve given up 120.3 rushing yards per game and 209.3 passing yards, with opposing quarterbacks completing 55.5% of their passes and posting a passer rating of 59, the sixth-lowest in the country.

In their recent game against Georgia Southern, the Dukes allowed 28 points, including three passing touchdowns, while giving up 406 total yards. Georgia Southern ran the ball 39 times for 191 yards and threw for 215 yards, though James Madison’s defense did manage to force three interceptions.