The James Madison Dukes and Louisville Cardinals face off on Saturday in a college football showdown at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
James Madison comes into this game with a 5-2 record overall but they have lost two games in a row. In the last game against Marshall, James Madison only scored 12 points, and that led to the 14 point defeat. Billy Atkins completed 13 of his 35 passes for 161 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions. The turnovers were a big issue, and if he starts in this game, he needs to be better. Todd Centerio missed the last game with an injury and it’s uncertain if he’s going to be able to go in this game. James Madison is averaging 38.7 points while their defense is giving up 20.9 points per game.
On the other side of this matchup is Louisville who sits with a 5-3 record overall and they have won three games in a row. In the last game against Wake Forest, the offense scored 48 points, but even more impressive was the defense giving up only 21 points. Malik Cunningham completed 15 of his 23 passes for 164 yards. Tiyon Evans rushed 11 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. Louisville is averaging 29.8 points while their defense is giving up 20.6 points per game.
James Madison is 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games. Louisville is 4-1 against the spread in their last five games. The over is 5-1 in the Dukes last six games. The under is 4-0 in Louisville’s last four games against the Sun Belt. The over is 4-1 in the Cardinals last five games in November.
If Centerio is back I expect James Madison can keep it close, but I’m not so sure that he’s going to be back. Louisville scored 48 points in the last game, and they are going to run up the score again in this game. Without Centerio, James Madison isn’t going to score enough, and that will lead to Louisville getting the job done. Back Louisville to come away with a cover of the spread.