Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Prediction, Pick & Odds (Thursday, Oct. 10)

• We’ve made our Coastal Carolina vs James Madison prediction for Thursday night
• The Week 7 college football odds have seen sharp movement towards Coastal Carolina
• Read below for Coastal Carolina vs James Madison prediction, picks and betting line

The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers head north to Harrisonburg for a Thursday night battle with the James Madison Dukes that could go a long way in determining the Sun Belt East hierarchy. Kickoff from Bridgeforth Stadium is slated for 7:30 PM EST on ESPN2.

The Chanticleers escaped their conference opener with a 45-37 win over Old Dominion, while the Dukes will be looking to rebound from a shocking 21-19 loss at ULM as 16.5-point chalk.

While bookmakers initially pegged JMU as 10-point favorites, sharp action has moved the line significantly. The Dukes are now 8-point home favorites with the total set at 60.5.

Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Prediction

There’s no denying that Coastal QB Ethan Vasko had an impressive performance against ODU last week, throwing for a career-high 367 yards and three touchdowns. However, it’s important to note that the Monarchs’ defense ranks a lowly 113th in the nation against the pass.

Vasko and his talented receiving corps of Jameson Tucker, Cameron Wright, and Tray Taylor will face a much tougher challenge against a JMU secondary allowing just 183.4 passing yards per game (21st in FBS). The Dukes have already intercepted 10 passes this season, so Vasko will need to be at his best to avoid costly turnovers.

QB1 answered the call 📞@EthanVasko #BALLATTHEBEACH | #FAM1LY | #TEALNATION pic.twitter.com/HIHRY2pxyQ

— Coastal Football (@CoastalFootball) October 6, 2024

On the other side of the ball, I expect Dukes’ dual-threat QB Alonza Barnett III to have a strong performance against a CCU defense that has been giving up nearly 30 points per game. It’s worth remembering that JMU scored 70 points against North Carolina and 63 against Ball State in recent weeks.

Barnett, who has accounted for 16 total touchdowns (12 passing, four rushing), should be able to exploit the Chanticleers’ defensive weaknesses.

Alonza Barnett III last 2 games:

Pass: 42-62, 668 yds, 10 TD, 0 int
Rush: 23 car, 159 yds, 3 TD

JMU 133 points scored.#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/TJUp07dpsK

— Kevin Warner (@KevinAWarner) September 28, 2024

Yes, Coastal has been competitive as road underdogs under head coach Tim Beck, going 4-1 ATS in that role. However, recent history favors the Dukes in this matchup. JMU has won the last three meetings by a combined score of 148-31, including a dominant 56-14 victory in Conway last season.

Considering JMU’s success in the first half this season (4-1 ATS), I believe the Dukes will jump out to an early lead and control the game from there.

• Best Bet: James Madison 1H -4.5 (-115 at )

Coastal Carolina vs JMU Odds

The spread for this game opened with James Madison as 10-point favorites, but sharp action has moved the line significantly to JMU -8. This movement indicates that professional bettors see value in Coastal Carolina at the current number.

Oddsmakers are giving bettors a chance to fade the Dukes in bounce-back mode, pricing them as -350 moneyline favorites (77.8% implied probability). The Chanticleers are +280 underdogs on the moneyline.

💰 Betting Odds for CCU @ JMU 💴

JMU opened as 10 point favorites
The spread is now JMU -8 (-110)
CCU at +8 for -110 odds
Over/Under : 60.5 with both odds at -110
CCU Money Line : +250
JMU Money Line : -300

Via ESPN BET pic.twitter.com/tLGA2n5JWk

— Fifth Quarter CCU 🌊🌴 (@FifthquarterCCU) October 10, 2024

As for the total, early bets on the over pushed the number from 55.5 to 60.5. This isn’t surprising considering these offenses rank 1st (JMU – 39.0 ppg) and 2nd (CCU – 38.4 ppg) in the Sun Belt in scoring.

However, it’s worth noting that JMU has gone under in four of five home games since 2021, while Coastal has stayed under in four straight as a road underdog. This is something to keep in mind when considering a bet on the total.

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Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Head to Head

Coastal Carolina’s only win over James Madison dates back to 2005 when both schools were competing at the FCS level. Since then, the Dukes have dominated the series.

Last year’s meeting was particularly one-sided, with the Dukes cruising to a 56-14 victory as 8.5-point road favorites. JMU racked up nearly 600 yards of total offense in that game.

I expect the Dukes to make another strong statement on national TV, especially in the first half. I’m taking JMU -5.5 in the first half as they look to set the tone early.