Pinnacle    +13½ -110     BET365  +13½ -110   Sportsinteraction  +13½ -110  888port  +13½ -110

Posted at 8:00 AM ET. Odds are subject to change

MARSHALL +13½ over James Madison

Joan C. Edwards Stadium – Huntington, WV

12:00 PM ET. The Dukes have become the quiet darlings of the Group of Six conversation, steadily piecing together a profile that has analysts wondering whether they might sneak into the College Football Playoff picture. At 7–1, with the lone defeat coming on the road at ranked Louisville, JMU’s résumé looks stronger by the week. That setback, once viewed as a missed opportunity, now appears more like validation given where the Cardinals sit in the playoff hierarchy. The Dukes have played with consistency, confidence, and urgency — traits that have not gone unnoticed by oddsmakers.

Marshall, meanwhile, is licking its wounds after an embarrassing stumble at Coastal Carolina. The Thundering Herd entered that game as a one-touchdown favorite and seemed poised to justify the number early on. But a cascade of turnovers and mental mistakes turned the night upside down, and what could have been a stabilizing win became a complete unraveling. Dropping that game outright — and doing so in such sloppy fashion — left a sour taste for bettors and pushed Marshall’s market rating downward in a hurry. But we faded them last week as we knew that playing the role of a road favorite is a far different animal than being a home dog. The Herd are the latter here.

James Madison is trading at its highest point of the season, while Marshall is being priced as if last week’s outing represents its true identity. It doesn’t. It was the spot that was the problem, now they are in a good one. Marshall has enough roster talent to match JMU physically, and being at home gives the Herd additional stability. If they can clean up the turnover issues and control tempo — both realistic tasks — this game can shrink and tighten quickly. The number here reflects hype more than matchup reality, and grabbing nearly two touchdowns feels like stepping in at the right moment.

James Madison may roll, sure, but the number itself suggests that Marshall has every reason to keep things close — and an outright upset wouldn’t be shocking if that happened either. Herd plus the points.

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