Appalachian State Mountaineers vs James Madison Dukes Prediction, 11/18/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Appalachian State Mountaineers vs James Madison Dukes

Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023

Location: Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field in Harrisonburg, VA

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Dukes (-11)

Total/Over-Under: 56

Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field is where the James Madison Dukes (10-0) will take on the Appalachian State Mountaineers (6-4) on Saturday, November 18, 2023. James Madison opens this contest as 11-point favorites. The over/under comes in at 56.

The Appalachian State Mountaineers head into this game 6-4 for this season. In their last matchup, the Mountaineers played against the Georgia State Panthers and went home with a win by a final score of 42-14. Joey Aguilar finished 14/21 with 255 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. He had a QB rate of 206.3 and finished the contest with 1 pick. Nate Noel led the offense in rushing for the Mountaineers with 10 attempts for 86 yards (8.6 yds per attempt). The Appalachian State Mountaineers ran the ball 39 times and amassed 254 yards, which had them averaging 6.5 yds per attempt. In all, they had 60 plays which converted into 509 yards. Appalachian State surrendered 16 completions on 31 attempts for 121 yds, and a completion rate of 51.6%. On the ground, the Mountaineers conceded 139 yds on 47 tries, which averages out to 3.0 yds per rush surrendered.

Regarding getting in the endzone, the Appalachian State Mountaineers hold an average of 34.8 PPG. As a unit they hold an average of 183.9 yards in the run game ranking them 32nd in the nation. The Mountaineers have tallied 4,569 total yards for this campaign. When it comes to distribution of touchdowns, Appalachian State has amassed 27 passing touchdowns and 16 rushing touchdowns. Appalachian State has 236 1st downs, and they have been called for 45 penalties for 422 yds. They have turned the ball over 14 different times.

In terms of yards through the air, the Mountaineers have given up 2,002 yds which ranks them 30th in D-1. They are allowing 200.2 yards per contest via the pass in addition to giving up a completion percentage of 60.6%. During the season, they have relinquished 390.2 yards per outing which ranks them 84th in D-1. They have yielded 12 touchdowns via the pass as well as 20 touchdowns via the ground game. The opposition is running for 5.2 yards per run and 190.0 yards on the ground per game this year. In total, they have conceded 1,900 rushing yards through 10 games. The Mountaineers rank 75th in Division 1 when it comes to team defense, conceding 27.0 points per game.

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The Dukes head into this game 10-0 this season. When they last stepped on the gridiron, the Dukes walked away with a victory by a final of 44-6 against the Connecticut Huskies. Jordan McCloud (4 TDs) walked away from the contest with 457 yards on 33/37 passing while his QB rating was 228.6. He kept the ball away from the defense with no interceptions and his average yards per pass attempt was 12.4. Kaelon Black ran the ball 4 times for 38 yds, finishing the game with 9.5 yards per attempt for James Madison. The Dukes finished the game with 503 yds on 60 plays (8.4 yds per play). James Madison ended up running for 2.0 yards per attempt, finishing with 46 yards on 23 attempts. James Madison surrendered 25 attempts on the ground for 79 yards (3.2 yds per rush). The Dukes pass defense conceded a completion percentage of 56.1%, relinquishing 240 yds on 23 out of 41 passing.

When it comes to how much they score, the Dukes are ranking 23rd in the nation holding an average of 34.3 points per contest. The James Madison Dukes are averaging 433.2 yards per outing, which has them ranked 34th in D-1. The James Madison offense has accrued 384 yds of penalties on 52 violations, ranking them 97th in D-1 in terms of making mistakes. They have thrown 8 interceptions while surrendering 3 fumbles and they have been able to record 208 1st downs. For the season so far, the Dukes have thrown for a total of 2,845 passing yards in addition to holding an average of 284.5 throwing yards per outing, which is ranked 22nd in D-1. They average 148.7 run yards per game and have run for 1,487 yards for the year.

The Dukes are allowing 18.2 PPG, ranking them 18th in the country. James Madison has allowed the opposition a total of 616 yards via the ground game (61.6 yards per outing) as well as 9 touchdowns on the ground this season. This season, they have relinquished 182 pts. They have surrendered 12 touchdowns through the air as well as 263.3 yards/contest, which has them ranked 118th in Division 1. The Dukes defense has participated in 680 plays, which has them ranked 81st in D-1. They have earned 4 fumbles and 12 interceptions this season.

Who will win tonight's Mountaineers/Dukes college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Dukes -11

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