The Cardinals are 7.5-point favorites at home against the Dukes.
After a sluggish start to the season, Louisville has won three straight – punctuated by last week’s upset victory over Wake Forest. With a trip to Clemson next week, Saturday’s home game against James Madison could be a trap. The Dukes weren’t even an FBS squad this time last year, but they are playing well in their first season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. But Louisville can’t afford to look past James Madison. After Clemson, the Cardinals still have to play N.C. State and Kentucky. In other words, bowl eligibility isn’t a guarantee unless they can come up victorious this week.
Let’s dive into this game for one of this week’s Forde Four bets. You can also find picks for Texas-Kansas State, North Carolina-Virginia and UCF-Memphis.
Bet on James Madison-Louisville at SI Sportsbook
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James Madison vs. Louisville Odds
Spread: James Madison +7.5 (-118) | Louisville -7.5 (-110)
Moneyline: JMU (+220) | LOU (-333)
Total: 53 - Over (-118) | Under (-110)
Game Info: Saturday, Nov. 5 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPNU
The Cardinals (5-3) are hot, the Dukes (5-2) are not. Louisville has won three straight, each by two touchdowns or more, to revive its season and perhaps save coach Scott Satterfield’s job. James Madison started its first FBS season 5-0, but has lost two straight amid a run of injuries.
The biggest question for JMU is the availability of quarterback Todd Centeio, a Colorado State transfer who was having a very good season until throwing three interceptions in a loss to Georgia Southern and injuring his shoulder. Backup Billy Atkins then had a nightmare performance in relief of Centeio at Marshall, throwing four picks and completing just 13 of 35 passes.
Obviously, this game looks closer if Centeio is able to go at something approaching 100%, so it might be wise to wait until close to kickoff before making a wager here. But even if Centeio plays, I like the Cardinals in this spot. They have become an opportunistic defense, leading the nation in takeaways (24) and sacks (33). With a new energy at home the last two weeks, Louisville could ride home-field advantage to an early lead and win going away.
The pick: Louisville -7.5 (-110)
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