James Madison Dukes vs Troy Trojans Prediction, 9/16/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: James Madison Dukes vs Troy Trojans

Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023

Location: Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, AL

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Trojans (-1)

Total/Over-Under: 49.5

Veterans Memorial Stadium is the location where the Troy Trojans (1-1) will attempt to beat the James Madison Dukes (2-0) on Saturday, September 16, 2023. Troy opens as 1-point favorites. The betting total comes in at 49.5.

The James Madison Dukes step onto the field holding a record of 2-0 for this season. In their last game, the Dukes took on the Virginia Cavaliers and earned the victory with a final of 36-35. Jordan McCloud went 20/31 with 224 yds passing and 1 TD. He had a quarterback rating of 135.9 and ended the contest without throwing a pick. Ty Son Lawton led the offense in rushing for the Dukes with 8 attempts for 79 yards (9.9 yards per carry). In all, they ran 66 plays which converted into 395 yds. The James Madison Dukes ended up running the ball 34 times and tallied 167 yards, which is an average of 4.9 yds per carry. On the ground, the Dukes conceded 18 yds on 35 tries, which calculates to 0.5 yds per run allowed. James Madison surrendered 20 pass completions on 26 tries for 377 yards, and a completion rate of 76.9%.

When it comes to getting in the endzone, the James Madison Dukes hold an average of 37.0 PPG. Offensively they're holding an average of 214.0 yards on the ground giving them a rank of 26th in D-1. The Dukes have attained 831 total yards for this campaign. When it comes to getting in the endzone, James Madison has totaled 4 passing touchdowns and 5 touchdowns on the ground. James Madison has accrued 40 first downs offensively, and they have committed 11 infractions for 81 yards. They have surrendered the ball 1 time.

Regarding passing yards, the Dukes have conceded 523 yds which ranks them 99th in the country. They have surrendered 261.5 yards per game through the air and allowed a completion percentage of 71.4%. In total, they have yielded 301.5 yards/outing putting them at 42nd in college football. They have given up 2 touchdowns through the air and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Opposing teams are running for an average of 1.2 yards per rush and 40.0 yards on the ground per game on the year. Over the course of this year, they have given up 80 running yards through 2 outings. The Dukes are sitting in 56th in Division 1 when it comes to team defense, giving up 19.0 PPG.

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The Trojans head into this matchup 1-1 for this season. When they last played, the Trojans took a loss by a score of 42-13 when they played the Kansas State Wildcats. Gunnar Watson (1 touchdown) ended the game with 167 yds on 17/32 passing while his QB rating was 101. He threw 1 interception and his average yards per attempt was 5.2. Kimani Vidal carried the ball 17 times for 83 yds, finishing the game with 4.9 yds per carry for Troy. The Trojans finished the game with 286 yards and they ran 66 plays (4.3 yards per play). Troy ran the football for 2.5 yards per attempt, totaling 70 yards on 28 attempts. Troy gave up 38 running attempts for 147 yds (3.9 yards per carry). The Trojans pass defense gave up a completion percentage of 65.6%, surrendering 250 yards on 21 out of 32 passing.

Concerning the points being put on the board, the Trojans are sitting 65th in the nation by scoring 30.5 points per outing. The Troy Trojans are averaging 413.0 yards/outing, ranking them 60th in college football. The Troy offense has compiled 65 penalty yards on 8 infractions, which is 107th in the nation in terms of hurting your team. They have thrown 2 picks while conceding 4 fumbles and they have been able to earn 40 first downs. Over the course of the season thus far, the Trojans have thrown for 414 yards via the pass along with an average of 207.0 passing yards per contest, putting them at 91st in the country. They average 206.0 rushing yards per game and have toted the ball for 412 yards in total.

Troy has allowed a total of 251 yards on the ground (125.5 yards/game) in addition to 5 touchdowns via the rush for the season. They have given up 3 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 193.0 yards/outing, ranking them 52nd in D-1. Their defense has earned 0 fumbles recovered and 2 interceptions so far this year. The Trojans defense has taken the field for 129 plays, which is good for 63rd in the country. The Trojans are relinquishing 36.0 PPG, which has them ranked 117th in Division 1. This season, they have relinquished 72 points.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Trojans -1

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