Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs James Madison Dukes Betting Pick & Prediction Boca Raton Bowl

The James Madison Dukes are the -7.5 point favorites as they face the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in this week’s non-conference matchup. Kick-off is set for 5:30 ET from FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, with ESPN handling the broadcast. The over/under line is currently at 53.5 points. The Dukes come in with an 8-4 record, while the Hilltoppers are 8-5 on the season.

WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS VS JAMES MADISON DUKES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers +7.5

This game will be played at FAU Stadium at 5:30 ET on Wednesday, December 18th.

WHY BET THE WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS:

• We have the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers winning this one by a score of 28 to 26
• Not only do we have the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +7.5
• Look for this game to go over the line of 53.5 points

Are The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers A Candidate To Pull Off An Upset?

Western Kentucky enters their Week 1 matchup against James Madison with an 8-5 record. They’ve been strong at home, going 3-1, but have struggled on the road with a 3-4 mark. The Hilltoppers have been favored in four of their 13 games, posting a 3-1 record as the favorite.

Against the spread, Western Kentucky is 6-5, with a 3-1 record at home and 3-4 on the road. As the favorite, they are 2-2 ATS, while they’ve gone 4-3 as the underdog.

Their over/under record stands at 6-5, with an average line of 55.9 points. This week’s line is set at 53.5 points, and their games have averaged 50 points per contest.

Western Kentucky’s offense has leaned heavily on their passing game, ranking 17th in the nation with 261.8 yards per game. They are 24th in passing attempts, averaging 33.1 per game, and 16th in completions, with 21.8 per game. Their completion percentage is also 66%, placing them 16th nationally. Heading into week 11, they are 64th in scoring, with 25.5 points per game, and we have them ranked 80th in our offensive power rankings.

Caden Veltkamp leads the Hilltoppers’ passing attack with 2,806 yards and a passer rating of 100. He has thrown 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, completing 66.6% of his passes. Kisean Johnson has 66 receptions for 855 yards and seven touchdowns. On the ground, Elijah Young has 846 rushing yards, averaging 4 yards per carry, and has scored three touchdowns.

Western Kentucky’s defense had a tough outing against Jacksonville State, giving up 52 points in a 52-12 loss. They allowed 562 total yards, including 386 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Jacksonville State also threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns.

For the season, Western Kentucky ranks 57th nationally, allowing 24.5 points per game. They are 20th in passing yards allowed, giving up just 175.5 yards per game. However, they have struggled against the run, ranking 173rd and allowing 224.2 rushing yards per game on 43.6 attempts, which is the 120th most in the country.

Can The James Madison Dukes Win As The Favorite On A Neutral Field?

James Madison enters Week 1 against Western Kentucky with an 8-4 record. They’ve been perfect at home (4-0) but are 3-3 on the road. The Dukes have been favored in nine of their 12 games, going 6-3 as the favorite.

Their ATS record stands at 6-4, with a 3-1 mark at home. As the favorite, they are 5-4 against the spread, and their average scoring margin this season is +13.1 points per game.

James Madison’s over/under record is 3-7, with their games averaging 54.6 points. This week’s line is 53.5, slightly above their average line of 53.3 points.

James Madison’s offense is averaging 33.8 points per game, ranking 21st in the nation. They are also 30th in rushing yards, with 195 yards per game on 38.8 attempts. George Pettaway leads the ground attack with 876 rushing yards, averaging 5 yards per carry, and has scored five touchdowns.

Quarterback Alonza Barnett III has thrown for 2,596 yards, 26 touchdowns, and four interceptions, posting a passer rating of 102. James Madison is ranked 22nd in passer rating nationally. Yamir Knight has 567 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 48 catches. Heading into this week, we have James Madison’s offense ranked 90th in our power rankings.

James Madison’s defense has been solid this season, ranking 21st nationally by allowing just 20.8 points per game. They’ve given up an average of 124.4 rushing yards per game, ranking 45th, and 198.4 passing yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks have managed a passer rating of just 65.7, the 8th-lowest in the country, completing only 52.7% of their passes.

In their recent game against Marshall, the defense allowed 35 points, surrendering 415 total yards. Marshall ran the ball 42 times for 222 yards and completed 18 passes for 193 yards.