James Madison Dukes vs North Carolina Tar Heels Prediction, Odds and Picks for Saturday, 09/21/24

The James Madison Dukes hit the road for Chapel Hill looking for a signature win. JMU is well rested, as it had a bye last week. The Duke defense has been tremendous to date, allowing just seven points against Charlotte in the opener, while giving up six to a strong FCS Gardner-Webb team in Harrisonburg last time out on Sept. 7. Facing North Carolina will easily be the biggest test of the season, however. These teams have a common opponent already, as both have faced the 49ers of Charlotte. UNC eased by Charlotte 38-20 at Kenan on Sept. 7, while James Madison went to Charlotte for a 30-7 victory as the Under (47.5) cashed.

UNC has allowed just 15.0 PPG in two home games, and 15.7 PPG overall in three contests, including a narrow road win in Minnesota back on Aug. 29. James Madison is going to have a lot more trouble trying to solve the Tar Heels, even with two weeks to study up. Dual-threat QB Alonza Barrett has simply been adequate, but not great. He spreads the ball around, as three receivers have at least five grabs, but this is an offense which is still a work in progress. Look for the Tar Heels to shut down the Dukes more often than not. The spread looked attractive at first, but the best play is going low on the total. This is a big number for a JMU team which has cashed low on both totals to date, while UNC is 2-1 to the Under.

Under 48.5 (-110) at time of publishing. Playable to 47.5.