James Madison Dukes vs Virginia Cavaliers Prediction, 9/9/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: James Madison Dukes vs Virginia Cavaliers

Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023

Location: Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, VA

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Cavaliers (+4)

Total/Over-Under: 44.5

Scott Stadium is the site where the Virginia Cavaliers (0-1) will take on the James Madison Dukes (1-0) on Saturday, September 9, 2023. James Madison opens this contest as 4-point favorites. The over/under is 44.5.

The James Madison Dukes come into this game with a record of 1-0 for this season. In their last game, the Dukes went up against the Bucknell Bison and notched a win by a score of 38-3. Jordan McCloud finished 7/11 with 144 yards passing and 2 touchdowns. He had a quarterback rating of 233.6 and walked away from the contest with no picks. Kaelon Black led the offense in rushing for the Dukes with 12 attempts for 125 yds (10.4 yds per attempt). For the game, they had 65 plays for 436 yards. The James Madison Dukes ran the ball 41 different times and amassed 261 yards, which came out to an average of 6.4 yards per carry. Against the run, the Dukes gave up 62 yards on 34 tries, which calculates to 1.8 yds per run allowed. James Madison gave up 15 completions on 23 tries for a total of 146 yds, and a completion rate of 65.2%.

Concerning putting points on the board, the James Madison Dukes have an average of 38.0 points per game. As a unit they're averaging 261.0 yards in the run game which is 15th in D-1. The Dukes have racked up 436 total yards for the year. When it comes to getting in the endzone, James Madison has totaled 2 touchdowns through the air and 3 touchdowns on the ground. James Madison has accumulated 22 first downs as an offense, and they have been called for 4 infractions for 25 yards. They have turned the football over 1 time.

The Dukes are ranked 9th in D-1 in terms of their opponents scoring, conceding 3.0 points per contest. They are giving up 1.8 yards per rush on the ground and 62.0 yards on the ground per game on the campaign. For the year, they have given up 62 rushing yards through 1 game. Regarding passing yards, the Dukes are allowing 146 yards which has them ranked 34th in Division 1. They have given up 146.0 yards per game through the air in addition to allowing a completion percentage of 65.2%. For the season, they have surrendered 208.0 yards/game putting them 17th in the country. They have yielded no touchdowns by air in addition to no touchdowns pounding the rock.

The Cavaliers step onto the field holding a record of 0-1 this year. When they last played, the Cavaliers took a loss by a score of 49-13 when they faced the Tennessee Volunteers. Tony Muskett finished the game with 94 yds on 9/17 through the air while his QB rating was 99.4. He didn't toss any interceptions and his Y/A was 5.5. Perris Jones ran the ball 7 times for 39 yds, ending the game with 5.6 yards per attempt for Virginia. The Cavaliers finished the contest with 201 yds on 64 plays (3.1 yards per play). Virginia rushed the football for 2.4 yards per carry, finishing the contest with 95 yds on 40 carries. Virginia allowed 52 run attempts for 287 yards (5.5 yards per rush). The Cavaliers secondary gave up a completion rate of 69.7%, relinquishing 212 yds on 23 out of 33 passing.

The Virginia Cavaliers average 201.0 yards per outing, ranking them 126th in Division 1. The Virginia offense has 10 yards of penalties on 2 infractions, which has them ranked 128th in college football in terms of giving up free yards. They have given away no picks while allowing opponents to recover no fumbles and they have earned 12 1st downs. Regarding the points being put on the board, the Cavaliers are ranked 117th in the nation averaging 13.0 points per game.

The Cavaliers are surrendering 49.0 points per game, which has them 123rd in the nation. Virginia has allowed a total of 287 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns on the ground this year. This season, they have relinquished 49 total points. They have surrendered 2 touchdowns through the air as well as 212.0 yards per outing, which puts them in 71st in the nation. The Cavaliers defense has been on the field for 85 plays, which is good for 115th in the nation. Their defense has 1 fumble recovery and no picks on the year.

Who will win tonight's Dukes/Cavaliers college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Dukes -4

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