Published Dec 4, 4:08pm ET by
Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Dec 4, 4:08pm ET
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A potentially lopsided battle awaits as Troy visits James Madison for the right to call themselves Sun Belt champions. This game will be played at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Each team won its respective Sun Belt East Division and West Division.
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| JAMES MADISON DUKES | -2800 |
| TROY TROJANS | +1300 |
The Trojans are big-time underdogs at +23.5 when they visit JMU for the conference title game. This makes us think that the quality in their division isn’t as balanced as the other side. All in all, Troy is riding a 2-game winning streak and will look to catch a break against a powerful Dukes team.
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The biggest standout stat for the Trojans is their red zone defense, where they rank 21st in the nation, allowing opponents to score on 76.7% of trips. Their passing defense is also decent, and opponents are averaging 23.9 points per game against them. We’ll see how they stack up against James Madison.
JMU is probably excited to have a huge -23.5 spread for this game, as they must feel confident about securing the win. They’ve only lost once this year, so they’ll expect to keep their streak going and clobber their opponents at home.
James Madison does most of its offensive damage on the ground, ranking 6th in the nation with 239.8 rushing yards per game. This is largely thanks to their star RB, Wayne Knight, who has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards this season with 8 touchdowns.
Most people will look at this game and immediately think “blowout”—we feel the same. We believe that the -23.5 spread favoring JMU will most likely mean they secure the win. The over/under is 48.5, and the moneyline is -2800 for JMU and +1300 for Troy.
Our recommended pick for this game is over 48.5. Both teams can score, and if JMU can reach its usual averages, this total should be within reach.
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Pick
Over 48.5
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