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It is a Sun Belt East battle as James Madison visits Georgia State. It is time to continue our College Football odds series with a James Madison-Georgia State prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
James Madison enters the game as one of eight undefeated teams in the nation. They are 8-0 on the season, and have dominated in most of their games. They have won by two scores in five of their seven games. Their first one-score game was a 36-35 win over Virginia in their second game of the season. The next was a 45-39 win over Utah State. Then, last time out, James Madison beat Old Dominion by three. JMU led their in-state rival 14-10 at the half and were ahead 30-17 in the third quarter. Old Dominion would score a touchdown at the end of the third quarter, and then kick a field goal to make it a three-point game, but could not complete the comeback, with James Madison winning 30-27.
Meanwhile, Georgia State is 6-2 on the year with a 3-2 conference record. they opened the season 4-0 before facing Troy. In that game, Georgia Start struggled to move the ball, and they would fall 28-7. The Panthers would rebound though, beating Marshall and Louisiana in the next two games. Last time out, they faced Georgia Southern. Georgia Southern dominated the first half. It was tied at seven with five minutes left in the first quarter, but Georgis Southern would make it 27-7 by halftime. Georgia State got it to a seven-point game to close out the third quarter, but after a pick-six by Georgia Southern, the game was sealed and Georgia State lost 44-27.
Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: James Madison-Georgia State Odds
James Madison:-5.5 (-110)
Georgia State: +5.5 (-110)
Over: 53.5 (-114)
Under: 53.5 (-106)
How to Watch James Madison vs. Georgia State Week 10
Time: 3:30 PM ET/ 12:30 PM PT
TV: ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why James Madison Will Cover The Spread
Jordan McCloud has continued to impress as of late. Last time out he threw for 340 yards and three scores against Old Dominion. In the last three games, he has thrown for over 850 yards and seven touchdowns but has thrown three picks. This season he has been dominant. He has completed 146 of 226 passes this year for 1,990 yards and 18 touchdowns. McCloud has thrown six interceptions this year, with three of them in the last two games. He has also had ten turnover-worthy passes this year. McCloud has also been solid on the ground this year. He has scored four times on the ground with one in each of the last two games. He also has 231 yards on the ground.
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Meanwhile, Kaelon Black has been solid out of the backfield for James Madison. He has run for 521 yards this season with a touchdown. Black has been solid after contact, with three yards after contact per rush this year. Meanwhile, he has also forced 14 missed tackles this season. Ty Son Lawton has 346 yards on the ground this year. He has rushed just 73 times and is averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Meanwhile, he has scored four times this season.
At receiver, the combination of Reggie Brown and Elijah Sarratt has been solid. Brown has brought in just 34 of 61 targets for 691 yards. He has also been good after the catch with 230 yards, while he has scored six times this year. Sarratt has 592 yards this year with 215 after the catch on 39 receptions. He has also scored four times on the season.
The pass rush has been dominated by Jalen Green this year. He has 18 sacks this season according to PFF, with 52 pressures. Mikail Kamara and Jamree Kromah have also both been solid. They each have six sacks and 24 quarterback pressures this year. In the run, Mikal Kamara has been solid as well. He has made 22 tackles this year with 21 of those being stops for offensive failures. He is averaging a point of tackle just .5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Francis Meehan leads the way in coverage. He has three interceptions this year, while not allowing a touchdown this year.
Why Georgia State Will Cover The Spread
Darren Grainger leads this Georgia State offense this year. He has completed 152 of 228 passes this year for 1,788 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has ten big-time throws according to PFF. The last time out was not his best though. Grainger passed for just 167 yards and while he did have two touchdowns, he also had two interceptions. Before the game, Grainger had just two interceptions all year. Those two both game in Georgia State's other loss of the year to Troy.
Grainger has also been solid on the ground this year. He has run for 522 yards on the ground, with just 45 of them being scramble yards. He has also scored five times on the ground but has fumbled seven times. The rushing game this year is led by Marcus Carroll. Carroll has 196 rushes this year for 1,054 yards on the season. He has been solid after contact this year as well, with 623 yards after contact on the season. Carroll has also scored 12 times this season.
Georgia State also has two solid receivers this year. Robert Lewis has brought in 46 of 66 targets this year for 658 yards. He also has six touchdowns this season, with 287 yards after the catch. Tailique Williams also has been solid, bringing in 30 of 40 targets this year. He has brought in 482 yards and three scores with 328 yards after the catch. Still, last time out, he brought in two of just four targets for four yards.
The pass rush still needs some work though. They have just 18 sacks this year, with Kevin Swint leading the way. He has four sacks this year, with seven quarterback pressures. Javon Davis is second on the team with three sacks and 23 pressures this year. In run defense, Justin Abraham leads the way this year. He has 23 stops for offensive failures this year, with 30 total tackles. In coverage, it is Gavin Pringle that leads the way. He has three interceptions and forced nine incompletions, still, he has allowed two touchdowns this year.
Final James Madison-Georgia State Prediction & Pick
Earlier this year, James Madison dominated Georgia Southern, the same team that beat Georgia State just last week. Georgia State has a solid team and a good offense, but not good enough to beat a solid James Madison defense. Further, it will be difficult to stop this James Madison offense. They will win this game, and continue their undefeated season.
Final James Madison-Georgia State Prediction & Pick: James Madison -5.5 (-110)
