The Oregon Ducks were a dominant force throughout most of the college football season. As a reward, they get a first-round matchup with the James Madison Dukes, who won the Sun Belt in commanding fashion but now face an extremely difficult test on the road. Will this game be close? Probably not, but there’s plenty of betting value on the table in the prop markets.
Oregon enters as a 20.5-point favorite with the total set at 46.5 points.
Here are a couple of the best college football player prop bets to consider on DraftKings Sportsbook for James Madison vs. Oregon in the College Football Playoff.
James Madison vs. Oregon player props
Dante Moore 240+ passing yards (+101)
Look. James Madison’s defense was very strong this season, holding opponents to just 16.3 points and 255.9 total yards of offense per game. Those are both top-10 marks in the nation, and the 178.8 passing yards allowed per contest ranked 14th overall coming into today’s game. Those numbers are great, but they just won’t last against a far superior program. The difference between the talent level near the top of the Big Ten and the Sun Belt will be evident today, and while the Dukes were able to play good defense all year, they simply haven’t faced playmakers of the caliber Oregon possesses. The Ducks’ speed on the outside may shock JMU’s defensive backs, and quarterback Dante Moore can use that to pick and choose his spots nicely. After completing 72.5% of his passes for 2,733 yards and 24 touchdowns, we’ve seen how lethal Oregon’s passing defense can be. Moore threw for 240+ yards in seven games this year and ended the regular season on a high note by doing so in each of his last three games, so the hot streak should continue today.
Wayne Knight 60+ rushing yards (-127)
There’s an argument for avoiding all prop bets on James Madison players today, and I won’t fault anyone who decides to go down that path. Facing one of the nation’s top defenses is a tough test for any team — Oregon allowed just 15.0 points and 252.3 yards per game — much less for a Group of Five squad that hits the road to head across the country into a hostile environment. Factor in the aforementioned talent gap between these programs, the size difference between players in the trenches, and that the Ducks allowed just 112.8 rushing yards per game (20th overall)… and it’s difficult to trust any of the Dukes’ offensive talents. Still, the visitors might have just enough on their side to still move the ball a little bit here. JMU emphasized running the ball this year behind lead running back Wayne Knight, who totaled 1,263 yards and nine touchdowns while running for a cool 6.6 YPC. He’s an excellent player and went over 60 yards rushing in 11 games this year, all but two, and closed the Sun Belt title game with a massive 212-yard outing on the ground. He’ll have his work cut out for him, but Knight is the kind of player who can make something out of nothing. Reaching 60 yards here is well within reason at least in the early stages.
