We have a Sun Belt battle on Thursday, Oct. 10, as the first-place Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (4-1, 1-0 SBC) head to Harrisonburg, Virginia, to take on the James Madison Dukes (4-1, 0-1).
Coastal most recently had a heated battle against Old Dominion, ultimately winning 45-37. Despite placing first in the Sun Belt East, the Chanticleers are still a confusing team.
They should’ve dominated Temple but only won by 8 points. Meanwhile, the defense couldn’t stop a beach ball against ODU.
On the other side, JMU had been dominant all season long before UL Monroe got in the way. The Dukes fell to Warhawks in a close battle by the score of 21-19 in their first Sun Belt battle this season.
Quarterback Alonza Barnett III struggled, completing just 43% of his passes without a touchdown while getting sacked three times.
Where does the betting value lie in this Thursday night Sun Belt showdown? Check out my Coastal Carolina vs. James Madison predictions and college football picks for Thursday, Oct. 10.
Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Prediction
- Coastal Carolina vs. James Madison Pick: Under 61.5
My James Madison vs. Coastal Carolina best bet is on the under, with the best line currently available at BetMGM, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Odds
| Coastal Carolina Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -105 | 61.5 -110o / -110u | +280 |
| James Madison Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -110 | 61.5 -110o / -110u | -375 |
- Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Point Spread: Coastal Carolina +9.5 (-110) · James Madison -9.5 (-110)
- Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Total: Over/Under 61.5
- Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Moneyline: Coastal Carolina +280 · James Madison -375
Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Preview
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Betting Preview: Cock-A-Doodle-McDoom
Coastal Carolina’s offense was humming last week, and Ethan Vasko was the catalyst. Vasko had a career-best night, throwing for 367 yards and three passing touchdowns.
To that end, the Chanticleers have put together a solid offensive season – ranking fourth in Havoc Allowed, 39th in Passing PPA and 28th in Success Rate passing downs.
Vasko’s been having a party this season with a three-headed monster catching passes at an astounding rate. Jameson Tucker, Cameron Wright and Tray Taylor — Coastal's top three receivers — all average more than 17 yards per catch.
You’ll be seeing a lot of running, though, as the Chants run the ball at a top-10 rate.
Christian Washington has received the bulk of the carries. While we likely won’t see a ton of fireworks from him, he’s been an all-around workhorse. Coastal ranks 27th in Rushing Success Rate and 48th in PPA.
As shown last week, the Chanticleers defense is maddening to watch. They have a great secondary led by Matthew McDoom — a stifling defensive back with two pass breakups and an interception — Tobias Fletcher and Juan Powell.
Additionally, they have some decent pass-rushers in Tray Brown, Joah Cash, Wyatt Gedeon and Will Whitson.
However, they struggle mightily when it comes to stopping the run. ODU had a committee of backs last week and combined for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Coastal is also 96th in Defensive Rushing Success Rate and 82nd in Havoc.
If this defense improved, the Chanticleers could make a push as a ranked team. However, they leave much to be desired at the moment.
James Madison Dukes Betting Preview: Duke-ing It Out
Last year, the Dukes made waves for being one of the few undefeated teams in college football. This year, they dropped 70 points on North Carolina and everyone wondered if they were legit. I'd pump the brakes on that.
James Madison has an incredibly volatile offense, so it’s no wonder it dropped 70 one week and then fell to UL Monroe another.
While he’s done a great job at limiting turnovers, Barnett hasn’t been very efficient. He completes passes at a 57% rate, which is OK, but the team's underlying metrics aren’t all that impressive.
- 112th in Passing Down Success Rate
- 87th in Passing PPA
- 72nd in Passing Success Rate
On top of that, the Dukes rank 120th in Havoc Allowed, which has forced Barnett to run a lot. While it can be a positive at times, it's typically not a great sign when the quarterback leads the team in rushing attempts and yards.
Once again, the metrics don’t favor JMU’s rushing game. While George Pettaway is a decent back and hardly loses yards, not many scoring opportunities come from the ground. The Dukes rank 70th in Rushing Success Rate, 110th in PPA and 117th in explosiveness.
If the offense is so subpar, then how’s the defense? In the words of Larry David, I’d say, “pretty, pretty, pretty good.”
There are some dogs on this defense, most notably defensive linemen Khairi Manns, Eric O’Neill and Chris Fitzgerald.
It’s going to be really tough for guys like Washington to break through these trenches. JMU ranks 11th in defending the run, so I’d expect Coastal to look toward aerial attack more often.
Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Coastal Carolina and James Madison match up statistically:
Coastal Carolina Offense vs. James Madison Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 76 | 21 | |
| Line Yards | 79 | 40 | |
| Pass Success | 72 | 21 | |
| Havoc | 21 | 55 | |
| Finishing Drives | 22 | 26 |  |
| Quality Drives | 48 | 17 | |
James Madison Offense vs. Coastal Carolina Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 37 | 116 | |
| Line Yards | 37 | 122 | |
| Pass Success | 71 | 43 | |
| Havoc | 46 | 115 | |
| Finishing Drives | 38 | 112 | |
| Quality Drives | 32 | 110 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 131 | 98 |
| PFF Coverage | 74 | 9 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 39 | 24 |
| Middle 8 | 23 | 24 |
| Seconds per Play | 28.1 (84) | 25.8 (38) |
| Rush Rate | 62% (13) | 55% (60) |
Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Pick & Prediction
JMU enters this game as a 9.5-point favorite, which doesn’t seem so bad considering the Dukes obliterated the Chants last season, 56-14.
I still think Coastal is a good program. However, it likes to run the ball a lot and will probably get stuffed plenty by JMU’s D-line.
Can Vasko repeat a career-best performance? I’m going to err on the side of caution and say no. Vasko can sling it, but I think JMU’s secondary is going to lock down Coastal’s three-headed receiver corps.
On the other side, I love the Chanticleers’ secondary as well, and I have no faith in Barnett. If Jordan McCloud was still manning this offense, I think we see a repeat of last year.
However, both secondaries should steal the show on Thursday night, while there's a heavy emphasis on the run game. If this doesn't hit, I give you permission to chirp me on Twitter.
Pick: Under 61.5 (-110)
How to Watch Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | Bridgeforth Stadium, Harrisonburg, VA |
| Date: | Thursday, Oct. 10 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN2 |
Coastal Carolina vs James Madison Betting Trends
- 66% of the tickets and 70% of the money is targeted for James Madison to cover the spread.
- 72% of the bets and 81% of the money is aimed at the over.
- The James Madison moneyline holds 91% of the bets and 68% of the money.
