Kicking off in the noon slate of this week’s college football Saturday, the Georgia State Panthers will face off with the James Madison Dukes in a Sun Belt clash.
This is the sixth matchup between these two programs in their history, with JMU winning each of the previous five. Both sides are off to encouraging starts to this season. JMU is looking to build off their 6-0 start, while Georgia State holds a 4-1 record on the year.
Looking at the odds, James Madison enters as a 12.5-point favorite with -455 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Georgia State is +350 to pull off the upset, with the game total set at 58.5 points.
This article previews both teams and offers a pick for the Week 7 CFB matchup.
Georgia State vs. James Madison Preview
Georgia State Panthers
The Georgia State Panthers are off to an encouraging 4-1 start to the year, including winning their lone Sun Belt matchup thus far. Their lone loss came at the hands of UCF by a score of 44-30, covering the 17.5-point spread in the process. Georgia State is a perfect 5-0 against the spread on the season.
Cameran Brown Brown headlines the offensive production under center, throwing for 1,157 passing yards and 12 touchdowns through his first five games. Brown has also added 112 rushing yards and a score with his legs from the quarterback position. Rodshaun Dorsey has established himself as the top pass catcher with 276 yards through the air and a Sun Belt-leading six receiving scores. DJ Riles and Derrick Avery Jr. are also leaned on in the passing game frequently. Running back Lanear McCrary Jr. has also been a vital part of the offensive attack, rushing for 361 yards and three scores. Qwantavius Wiggins also contributes on the ground with 235 rushing yards and a pair of scores of his own.
Collectively, Georgia State is averaging an impressive 39.4 points per game this year. This ranks 17th among all FBS teams, and they are generating 486.6 total yards of offense. The Panthers have scored 30+ points in each matchup this season and tallied as many as 59 in a game this year. Defensively, they rank 35th in the country by holding teams to 19.0 average points per game.
James Madison Dukes
The James Madison Dukes enter with a perfect 6-0 record and are 5-1 against the spread to start the season. They have already picked up three victories in Sun Belt play and are looking to build off a hard-nosed victory over Georgia Southern last week. JMU earned the 27-24 victory after trailing heading into halftime, but this marked the lone matchup they were unable to cover the spread with the seven-point line proving too lofty.
Camden Coleman stands in at quarterback for the Dukes and has done an impressive job leading the offense to start the year. The Richmond transfer has thrown for 1,150 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and just one interception to start the year, while adding 80 yards and a rushing score on the ground. Corey Scott and Cole Keller are his two most reliable pass-catchers, each recording 270+ yards through the air and four touchdowns each. But JMU has had even greater success on the ground. George Pettaway leads the conference with 95 rush attempts, 648 rushing yards, and is tied for second with six touchdowns on the ground. Nick Herman has also contributed to this effort with 281 rushing yards and three scores of his own.
As a team, James Madison is averaging 41.8 points per game, which ranks 10th among all FBS programs. They have scored 20+ points in all six matchups and put up a ridiculous 87 points against Wagner. The Dukes are generating 452.0 average yards of offense and have shown they are capable of beating opponents on the ground or through the air. There have also been some impressive signs defensively, with JMU holding opponents to 15.0 points per game, which ranks 16th in the country.
Georgia State vs. James Madison Pick, Best Bet
Both teams should feel encouraged by their starts to the season, but the lack of quality opponents makes it a bit difficult to see exactly where they stack up in the hierarchy of college football. JMU currently ranks 122nd in strength of schedule, while Georgia State is 136th out of 138 qualifying teams thus far this season.
James Madison looks to be the more complete team, and this will be a home matchup on Homecoming weekend. Expect a spirited atmosphere, with the Dukes already being 3-0 at Bridgeforth Stadium this year. My lean is toward there being enough production from the home squad to cover the 12.5-point spread.
However, for my best bet in this matchup, I am backing the game total to go over 58.5. Both of these offenses have passed the eye test pretty comfortably, but I do have concerns that the defensive metrics are better than reality due to the opponents they have faced. Georgia State allowed 44 points against UCF in their lone loss this year, with the Knights gashing them for 304 rushing yards. The Panthers have allowed 10+ points in every game this season, even while facing some putrid offenses.
JMU will provide a much more intimidating attack, with them scoring 45+ points in three of their six games played this year. There is more reason for optimism about the Dukes’ defense, but they still conceded 61 total points across the past three weeks against Old Dominion, Marshall, and Georgia Southern. Georgia State’s offense is one of only three FBS teams to have scored 30+ points in every game and will be eager to extend this. Expect both teams to exploit the opponents defense more than has been the case for the bulk of the season.
Count on both teams scoring at a high rate throughout, and for the 58.5 game total to be too low based on the context of this matchup.
