James Madison vs Southern Miss Prediction 10-26-24 College Football Picks

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the James Madison Dukes will meet on Saturday in college football action from Bridgeforth Stadium. Here’s a James Madison vs Southern Miss prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best James Madison vs Southern Miss pick.

Southern Miss Golden Eagles Betting Preview

The Eagles kicked off the year with a blowout loss versus Kentucky but then got a victory over Southeastern Louisiana 35-10 in game two. After that came a series of losses to South Florida, Jacksonville State, Louisiana, and LA-Monroe, however.

In the Arkansas State game, the Eagles gave up 21 points in the first quarter and 13 more in the third during a 44-28 loss. QB Ethan Crawford logged 187 yards and a pick while also leading the rushing attack on 87 yards and two scores from 26 carries.

James Madison Dukes Betting Preview

Over on the Dukes’ side, they kicked off the series at 4-0 with a series of wins versus Charlotte, Gardner-Webb, North Carolina, and Ball State. James Madison took their first loss of the year to LA-Monroe 21-19 but then beat Coastal Carolina in game six.

Matched up against Georgia Southern last weekend, the Dukes were outscored 21-0 in the first half and ended up with a 28-14 defeat. Alonza Barnett threw for 186 yards and a TD. Omarion Dollison caught the score among his three receptions for 51 yards.

Why the James Madison Dukes will win

• The favorite has won each of Southern Miss’ last nine games.
• Southern Miss has lost each of its last six games in October.
• The favorite has covered the spread in seven of Southern Miss’ last eight completed games.
• Southern Miss has failed to cover the spread in six of its last seven completed games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
• Southern Miss has lost the first half in each of its last four games against conference opponents.

Why the Southern Miss Golden Eagles will win

• James Madison has failed to cover the spread in three of its last four October games against non-AP-ranked teams.

Total Points Facts

• Seven of Southern Miss’ last eight completed games as a road underdog have gone OVER the total points line.
• Six of James Madison’s last seven October games against non-AP-ranked teams have gone UNDER the total points line.

Matchup/League Facts

• James Madison ranks 1st among FBS teams for interceptions this season (15).
• James Madison ranks 6th among FBS teams for Q4 opponent points per game this season (2.7).
• Southern Miss ranks 134th among FBS teams for time of possession per game this season (24:16).
• Southern Miss ranks 133rd among FBS teams for 3rd down conversion percentage this season (24.3).

James Madison vs Southern Miss Prediction

I’ll stick with James Madison. Probably not touching it, though. The Dukes mustered just 253 total yards (186 passing) and 16 first downs in their latest loss to Georgia Southern. JMU bagged four takeaways but also committed 10 penalties and gave up 9-of-13 on third-down conversions. It was a very uneven game.

As for Southern Miss, they held the Red Wolves to 3-of-14 on third downs but also gave up 281 rushing yards during their weekend defeat. The Eagles had six penalties and three turnovers as well. Both teams could use a rebound effort here, but ultimately I think James Madison comes away with the cover.