CFB Blockbuster Blaster - Thursday
- Handicapper
- Jim Feist
- League
- NCAAF
- Competition
- Troy vs James Madison
- Release Date
- 10/29/2026 12:41 AM
- Event Date
- 10/29/2026 07:30 PM
- Bet Type
- Point Spread
- Pick
-
James Madison -18.5 (-112)
(BetOnline)
- Outcome
- Loss
- Analysis
- James Madison will try to bounce back to the win column on Thursday Night against Troy. Both teams are playing in the Sun Belt Conference this week. James Madison is 7-1 while Troy sits at 3-4 on the season. The Dukes have been scoring points at an incredible rate this season. They are averaging 41.4 points and 456.3 total yards of offense per game. These stats will be helpful when facing Troy who only average 22.9 points per game. James Madison is also 6-2 on the season ATS while Troy is 2-5.
James Madison’s best quality about them is that they are very balanced. The Dukes have been averaging 207.1 yards on the ground and only allow their opponents to gain 110.1 yards per game on the ground. This will play a big role against Troy as they are a run heavy team and have struggled through the air this season averaging 176.4 passing yards per game. James Madison should be able to take away the run and force Troy into throw heavy situations which will lead to more turnover and short field opportunities.
James Madison will want to play with some extra fire this week after losing their first game of the season to App State in overtime by a score of 34-31. The Dukes still had more yards then the Mountaineers with 423 to 366. They were also able to limit App state to only 81 yards rushing. Another factor that could help James Madison is that they played Troy in the Sun Belt championship game last year. The Dukes dominated Troy on defense and won the game by a score of 31-14. James Madison only allowed Troy to gain 177 total yards and had 8 sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
Troy will also struggle with their lack of offensive production away from home. They have lost every road game this season by double digits. James Madison should be able to score quick points and force Troy to stop running the ball. With 14 touchdowns already this season from Camden Coleman the Dukes will have plenty of chances to score. They are also scoring on 95.1% of their trips to the red zone. That will be key when playing a game that you are favored by many points.
Expect James Madison to play with urgency this week. They have a better offense and defense that can limit Troy to a lower scoring game. Once James Madison takes control of the game Troy may not be able to keep up. James Madison is averaging 18 more points than Troy so there is a good chance they will win this game by a lot and cover the spread.
Jim’s Play: 112. James Madison
