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James Madison has been one of the most impressive teams in the Group of 5 this season.
The Dukes are 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the Sun Belt, with their lone loss coming against Louisville, the No. 16 team in the country, which knocked off Miami a few weeks back.
JMU still has plenty of work to do just to get into the Sun Belt Championship, but if it runs the table it could have a strong enough resume to lay claim to the Group of 5’s bid in the College Football Playoff.
A win over Texas State on Tuesday night would be a big step towards those goals, and James Madison is a seven-point road favorite.
James Madison vs. Texas State odds, picks
Texas State was projected to be a contender in the Sun Belt’s West Division, but the Bobcats have been disappointing and sit at 0-3 in conference play.
Texas State can feel a bit hard-done by, as all three of its defeats have come by one score, including losses to Arkansas State and Marshall by a combined four points.
James Madison Dukes running back Wayne Knight in action. Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
Had some bounces gone their way, this could be a potential Sun Belt Championship preview.
Instead, this one looks like more of a formality, with James Madison sitting as a big favorite.
Stylistically, you can feel pretty confident on how this game will play out.
James Madison has built its success this season on an old-school mentality. It dominates the ground game. The Dukes rank eighth in FBS in rushing yards per game, 10th in rushing play percentage and 19th in yards per carry.
Betting on College Football?
They’re even more impressive at stopping the run.
JMU’s dominance in the trenches figures to be a nightmare for Texas State, another team that wants to keep the ball on the ground.
The only problem is that James Madison does what Texas State does a lot better.
The Dukes should roll in San Marcos on Tuesday night.
The Play: James Madison -7 (-110, FanDuel)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.