This week, Louisville hosts the James Madison Dukes, one of the top teams in the Sun Belt Conference, not to mention the Group of Six. Of course, Louisville will be a solid College Football Betting favorite and expected to win going away. Last week, the Louisville Cardinals hosted the FCS Eastern Kentucky Colonels in a non-conference game that Louisville was supposed to win easily. Head coach Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals delivered the win but not the money despite a 51-17 win. Still, the performance was good enough to maintain the optimism for a big year.
James Madison Dukes at Louisville Cardinals NCAAF Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Friday, September 5, 2025, 7 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | L&N Stadium, Louisville, KY |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN2 |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Madison | +14 ( -110 ) | 57 ( -115 ) | +415 |  |
| Louisville | -14 ( -110 ) | 57 ( -105 ) | -550 | |
| ||||
James Madison Dukes Team Overview
Last game, the James Madison Dukes routed the Weber State Wildcats 45-10 to cover the online betting spread as 26.5-point favorites in their season opener.
Starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III and reserve quarterback Matthew Sluka each threw for a touchdown and ran for another in the first half. James Madison dominated Weber State. Barnett got the starting nod before the game over the UNLV transfer Sluka. Before the break, he completed 9 of 12 passes that included a 20-yard score to Isaiah Alston. The correlation that gave James Madison a 14-0 lead with 46 seconds left in the first quarter. He finished 14 of 22 for 130 yards.
Barnett, coming off an ACL tear suffered in the final game of last season, ran it in from the 11 for the game’s first score. Sluka entered in the second and crashed in from the 1 for a 21-0 advantage. Following a blocked punt, Sluka threw a 14-yard touchdown to Landon Ellis for a 28-point lead. Weber State got on the scoreboard when Jackson Gilkey threw a 14-yard touchdown to Noah Kjar with 53 seconds left before halftime.
After exchanging field goals in the third quarter, JMU closed the scoring in the fourth on a 59-yard touchdown run by Wayne Knight and a 5-yarder by JC Evans. Overall, the Dukes outgained Weber State 458-148.
Louisville Cardinals Team Overview
Last game, the Louisville Cardinals routed Eastern Kentucky 51-17 as 38-point home favorites. The game went over the total of 56.5.
Namely, Isaac Brown garnered 126 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries, and Louisville amassed 543 yards of offense on Saturday and drubbed visiting Eastern Kentucky.
Louisville held its FCS guests to just 150 yards, including just 38 in the first half. Brown did his damage in less than a quarter-and-a-half. Last season’s ACC leader in rushing average scored on runs of 31 and 68 yards.
Miller Moss played only in the first half and went 17-for-25 passing for 223 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. The former Southern California starter spread his passes across to eight receivers. Also, he also added a rushing score in the victory.
Caullin Lacy had a 93-yard punt return for a touchdown, which ranks as the second-longest in Louisville history. Also, he caught four of Moss’ passes for 62 yards.
The Cardinals scored touchdowns on each of their first five drives and led 41-0 with 2:58 remaining in the first half after Keyjuan Brown’s 1-yard touchdown.
James Madison at Louisville SBG Free Picks
In this situation, Louisville is the deeper team. Hence, the Cardinals should provide good College Football Betting value at home.
James Madison at Louisville SBG Best Bet: Louisville Cardinals.