Going into Saturday’s James Madison vs UL Monroe contest in the Sun Belt, both teams are playing very well this season. These teams have one combined loss between them, though James Madison is a 16.5-point favorite in this conference opener for both sides. Meanwhile, the total for the game is set at 48 points. Keep reading for our college football betting picks for this matchup between the Dukes and Warhawks.
James Madison Unbeaten Entering Sun Belt Play
Early in the 2024 college football season, the James Madison Dukes are 4-0, beating all four of their non-conference opponents this year. The offense of the Dukes has been firing on all cylinders of late, scoring 133 points across their last two games against Ball State and North Carolina. They will look to continue scoring points in bunches here against UL Monroe, though the Warhawks could be a tougher opponent than anticipated.
Over their last two games, James Madison has seen Alonza Barnett III play at an incredibly high level. Barnett has thrown for 668 yards and 10 touchdowns in the last two weeks against UNC and Ball State, pacing what has looked like one of the best offenses in the country. If he can continue dealing against UL Monroe, Barnett could move his Dukes to 5-0 and earn them top-25 consideration.
UL Monroe Looks to Build On Upset Win
UL Monroe got through its first four games with a 3-1 record, including a win in their Sun Belt opener against Troy last week. That game was a defensive struggle, with the Warhawks holding Troy to just nine points in a 13-9 road win for ULM. In this weekend’s James Madison vs UL Monroe matchup, the Warhawks defense could be in for a much tougher challenge.
ULM was a little lucky last week, as Troy found itself dealing with multiple quarterback injuries by the end of that contest. As a result, the Trojans were struggling to move the ball by the end of that game. Barring something catastrophic for James Madison in this game, it is hard to see the Dukes having the same kind of problems with their offense this week.
James Madison vs UL Monroe Prediction
We will lay the points with James Madison in this weekend’s James Madison vs UL Monroe clash from Louisiana. ULM should be commended for getting halfway to bowl eligibility before the beginning of October, but James Madison’s offense is performing on another level of late. Look for that to continue and for the Dukes to move to 5-0 behind their explosive offense.
