James Madison Dukes (12-1) vs. Oregon Ducks (11-1)
December 20, 2025 7:30 pm EDT
The Line: Oregon Ducks -21.5; Over/Under: 50.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The James Madison Dukes and the Oregon Ducks meet Saturday in College Football Playoff First Round action from Autzen Stadium in Eugene. Here’s an Oregon vs James Madison prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Oregon vs James Madison pick.
James Madison Dukes Betting Preview
The Dukes beat Weber State in their opener this year, then took their first (and only) loss versus Louisville in game two. James Madison went on a tear after that, winning the next 11 games. Those victories came in succession versus Liberty, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, Old Dominion, Texas State, Marshall, App State, Washington State, Coastal Carolina and Troy. Over 13 games that gives the Dukes a 12-1 overall record this year.
In their matchup with Troy for the Sun Belt Championship on December 5, the Dukes were up by just three points by the start of the fourth quarter. JMU hit a couple of unanswered touchdowns from there however, and won 31-14 in the end. QB Alonza Barnett had 93 yards with a score and a pick on 10-of-25 passing (with a rush TD), but Wayne Knight did most of the work on 212 yards and a score from 21 carries. Braeden Wisloski caught the touchdown among his two grabs for 31 total yards.
Oregon Ducks Betting Preview
Over on the Oregon side, they opened the year with five straight wins. The Ducks took out Montana State, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Oregon State and Penn State in that quintet before a loss to Indiana. Oregon has since won six straight, beating Rutgers, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, USC and Washington. Over their 12 games this year the Ducks have managed an 11-1 overall run so far.
Matched up against Washington back on November 29, the Ducks held a 13-7 lead by the break. Oregon hit another 13-7 run in the second half, scoring in every quarter during a 26-14 win in the end. QB Dante Moore had a 20-of-29 line for 286 yards and a TD (with another on the ground). Noah Whittington led the rush on 47 yards from 17 carries and Malik Benson had five catches for 102 yards and a TD in the win.
Oregon vs James Madison Prediction
I’ll stick with Oregon, but it’s a coin flip from a thick line. The Ducks did a great job amid a very, very difficult Big Ten this year, finishing behind only Indiana and Ohio State—both unbeaten in conference play. Oregon averages a nice 38.3 points per game this season along with 246.8 yards passing and 218.4 yards rushing per game. The Ducks have a balanced attack, scoring 25 TDs (and six picks) through the air alongside 30 rushing scores. Doing all of that amid a stacked conference is even more impressive.
As for James Madison, they aren’t statistical slouches either. The Dukes put up 37.3 points per game in 2025 with 202.5 yards, 24 TDs and 10 interceptions through the air. JMU added a very nice 245.8 rush yards per game with 36 rushing scores this year. The Dukes have scored 31 or more points in six of the last seven games as well. All of that said however, James Madison hasn’t played a ranked team yet. Facing Oregon here will ratchet up the competition level considerably. If they can get their running game working early I could see the Dukes hanging around on the scoreboard (relatively speaking at least). The line on this one seems generous enough for James Madison to be able to get in there if all goes well.
