James Madison vs. Marshall odds, spread, line: 2023 college football picks, Week 8 prediction by proven model

The Marshall Thundering Herd look to snap a two-game losing streak when they host the unbeaten James Madison Dukes on Thursday night. The Dukes (6-src, 3-src) lead the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference and come in off a 41-13 victory against Georgia Southern last Saturday. The Herd (4-2, 1-1) have lost to Georgia State and NC State, but they won the most recent meeting 26-12 last October. James Madison is in its second FBS season and moved into the AP Top 25 after a strong start to 2src22, and it could do it again with a victory here.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, W. Va.. The latest James Madison vs. Marshall odds via SportsLine consensus list the Dukes as 3.5-point favorites, and the over/under for total points scored is 5src. Before locking in any Marshall vs. James Madison picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 1src,srcsrcsrc times. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of more than $2,srcsrcsrc for $1srcsrc players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on James Madison vs. Marshall and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine to see the model’s CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and trends for Marshall vs. James Madison: 

• JMU vs. Marshall spread: Dukes -3.5
• JMU vs. Marshall over/under: 5src points
• JMU vs. Marshall money line: Dukes -173, Thundering Herd 144
• JMU: Is 8-3 ATS in its past 11 conference matchups.
• MAR: Is 7-7 ATS in its past 14 games as an underdog.
• JMU vs. Marshall picks: See picks at SportsLine 
• JMU vs. Marshall live stream: fubo (try for free)

Why James Madison can cover

JMU quarterback Jordan McCloud, an Arizona transfer who also played at South Florida, is leading an offense averaging almost 34 points per game. The senior has a career-high 1,432 passing yards, with 14 touchdown passes and three interceptions. He has a strong supporting cast, with running back Kaelon Black and receivers Elijah Sarratt and Reggie Brown capable of making big plays. Black has 554 total yards, and he scored three touchdowns in last week’s win.

Brown is averaging 21.1 yards on his 2src receptions while Sarratt has a team-high 24 catches, and each has scored three TDs. The James Madison defense also is capable of game-changing plays. The unit has 26 sacks, led by Jalen Green with eight, third-most in FBS. The Dukes also have intercepted 1src passes, and Herd quarterback Cam Fancher has five interceptions to just seven TD passes. JMU is 11-6 against the spread since moving up to FBS for the 2src22 season. See which team to pick here.

Why Marshall can cover

Marshall beat the Dukes on the road last season, part of a three-game James Madison losing streak after it entered the polls. The Herd had 326 yards, 167 on the ground, while James Madison had 247 total yards. Fancher started that game as a freshman, and while he didn’t have a great game (159 passing yards), he’ll have a lot more confidence this year. Fancher is completing 69% of his throws and has 1,5src6 passing yards, and he has a lot of options for pass-catchers.  

Eight Herd players have at least 11 receptions, led by Caleb Coombs, who has 23 and has scored twice. Tight end Cade Conley has caught 18 passes, though his status is uncertain because of an ankle injury. Running back Rasheen Ali has 15 receptions but does most of his damage in the ground game, rushing for 641 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Marshall defense has 2src sacks, led by Owen Porter (4.5). He had 9.5 last season, with 3.5 of those against JMU. See which team to pick here.

How to make James Madison vs. Marshall picks

SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 55 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 5src% of the time. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Marshall vs. James Madison, and which side of the spread hits in more than 5src% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of more than $2,srcsrcsrc on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.