James Madison and Georgia Southern meet in Statesboro on Saturday for a pivotal matchup in the Sun Belt East.
The Dukes bounced back from the loss at Louisiana Monroe by defeating Coastal Carolina last week, moving to 5-1 on the year.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have won four of their last five to come into the game at the top of the division with a 2-0 mark in SBC play.
The Dukes are 10-point favorites on the spread with a 58.5-point over/under. The game kicks off at 4 p.m. ET and can be streamed live on ESPN+.
This could ultimately decide who makes the trip to the conference title game, which should give us a great battle. So, let’s break down this contest between James Madison and Georgia Southern.
Read on for my James Madison vs Georgia Southern predictions and my college football picks for Saturday.
James Madison vs Georgia Southern Odds, Lines, Pick
| James Madison Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -105 | 58.5 -110o / -110u | -340 |
| Georgia Southern Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -115 | 58.5 -110o / -110u | +270 |
- James Madison vs Georgia Southern spread: James Madison -9.5
- James Madison vs Georgia Southern over/under: 58.5 points
- James Madison vs Georgia Southern moneyline: James Madison -340
- James Madison vs Georgia Southern pick: James Madison -9.5
My James Madison vs Georgia Southern best bet is on the Dukes spread, with the best line currently available at BetMGM, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
James Madison vs Georgia Southern Preview
James Madison Football
With all the headlines about those who left the program, it is time to start acknowledging the job Bob Chesney is doing in his debut campaign.
The team is off to a hot start and has done so with a high-flying offense. The Dukes have scored 30-plus points in four of six games, including over 60 points in back-to-back contests against North Carolina and Ball State.
In Year 3, after moving up to the FBS level, JMU has already shown that it can be a dominant team in the SBC, especially on the road. Since making the jump, the program is 11-3 in true road games.
However, one of the three defeats came at Paulsen Stadium. So, there could be revenge on the mind in this huge matchup.
Georgia Southern Football
Entering the fourth quarter at Marshall, coach Clay Helton’s team only had a field goal on the board and was looking at a 20-point deficit.
The Eagles scored three touchdowns and a safety to complete the massive road comeback. It's even more impressive that two of those scores came in the game's final three minutes.
The victory also allowed Southern to top the division standings.
The school's late-game heroics are nothing new under Helton. It was the third time in his two-plus seasons that the Eagles won a game when trailing with less than two minutes on the clock.
Helton will be hoping for a faster start here for homecoming, which starts with running back Jalen White. His seven total touchdowns rank second in the Sun Belt, and he’ll need another big showing here.
James Madison vs Georgia Southern Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how James Madison and Georgia Southern match up statistically:
James Madison Offense vs. Georgia Southern Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 48 | 128 | |
| Line Yards | 27 | 99 | |
| Pass Success | 74 | 98 | |
| Havoc | 27 | 103 | |
| Finishing Drives | 38 | 87 | |
| Quality Drives | 33 | 94 | |
Georgia Southern Offense vs. James Madison Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 68 | 6 | |
| Line Yards | 124 | 22 | |
| Pass Success | 114 | 9 | |
| Havoc | 91 | 38 | |
| Finishing Drives | 22 | 30 | |
| Quality Drives | 101 | 9 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 98 | 51 |
| PFF Coverage | 8 | 30 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 24 | 2 |
| Middle 8 | 26 | 35 |
| Seconds per Play | 27.1 (64) | 25.7 (34) |
| Rush Rate | 56% (55) | 48% (108) |
James Madison vs Georgia Southern Prediction
I don’t love laying points on the road, especially in conference play.
But I don’t believe the home team will slow down the visitors in this spot.
So, my best bet is to back James Madison at -9.5 on the spread, which I would try to get before it moves through the key number of 10. I also don’t hate betting JMU to fly over its team total of anything under 35 points.
If you can bet at DraftKings, I would also look in the futures market before this kicks off. You can bet the Dukes will win the East Division of the SBC at +150 odds.
Similar to the spread in this one, I expect JMU to be a heavy favorite against each conference opponent for the remainder of the year, making this future an excellent price for the portfolio.
I don’t know how Southern is going to get enough stops in this matchup. The Eagles have really struggled with the ground attack.
Against the run, Georgia Southern ranks 128th nationally in Rush Success Rate Allowed. This is the same unit that ranks among the bottom 15 Non-Power 4 programs in EPA per Rush allowed. That doesn't bode well against James Madison's rush attack, which ranks in the top 50 nationally in Rush Success Rate, Offensive Line Yards, and Finishing Drives. The Dukes are averaging nearly 200 rushing yards per game.
Meanwhile, JMU also has advantages on defense. The defensive unit ranks in the top 10 in the country in Pass Success Rate allowed and PFF's Coverage grades, which is crucial against Southern’s Air Raid offense.
It all points to the visitors securing a big conference win, and I think the Dukes will do so by double digits.
Pick: James Madison -9.5 (Play to -10)
James Madison vs Georgia Southern Start Time, Channel, Streaming, How to Watch
| Location: | Allen E. Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, GA |
| Date: | Saturday, Oct. 19 |
| Kickoff Time: | 4 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN+ |
James Madison takes on Georgia Southern at Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, GA, on Saturday, Oct. 19. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
James Madison vs Georgia Southern Weather
