James Madison (6-2) started its first two seasons 19-5 as an FBS team and would have reached the Sun Belt title game in the past two seasons if it had not been ineligible.
Those successes, unfortunately, led to the departure of head coach Curt Cignetti along with half their roster.
Bob Chesney was hired away from Holy Cross to keep the Dukes rolling, and he has done that. The Chesney era started with five straight wins including a dominant upset win at North Carolina. They have hit a few bumps, taking two losses in the last four games, but James Madison is still alive in the Sun Belt Championship and has plenty to play for.
Georgia State (2-6) is in a true year-zero situation. Shawn Elliott left the team high and dry, departing for South Carolina in the middle of spring practice. Dell McGee was an extremely late hire and the former Georgia running backs coach took over with little experience.
The Panthers pulled off a great win against Vanderbilt early in the season but have since been in a free fall, losing their past five games. They have yet to pick up a conference win and need to do something to stop the bleeding.
The Dukes are 15.5-point home favorites on the spread with a 54-point over/under. The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 9, and can be streamed live on ESPN+.
Read on for our Georgia State vs James Madison predictions and college football picks for their NCAAF Week 11 matchup.
Georgia State vs James Madison Prediction
My Georgia State vs James Madison best bet is on the Dukes to cover as 15.5-point favorites at bet365 Sportsbook.
Georgia State vs James Madison Odds
| Georgia State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+15.5 -110 | 54 -110 / -110 | +525 |
| James Madison Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-15.5 -110 | 54 -110 / -110 | -750 |
- Georgia State vs James Madison Point Spread: Georgia State +15.5 (-110) · James Madison -15.5 (-110)
- Georgia State vs James Madison Total: Over/Under 54
- Georgia State vs James Madison Moneyline: Georgia State +525 · James Madison -750
Georgia State vs James Madison Betting Preview
Georgia State Panthers Betting Preview Why the Panthers Will Win
Georgia State had a preseason quarterback battle, and Penn State/Pitt transfer Christian Veilleux started the season as the starting quarterback.
After struggling with accuracy and turnovers, they turned to Akron/Georgia Tech transfer Zach Gibson.
Gibson has been much better, throwing five touchdowns with just one interception in four games. Wide receiver Ted Hurst has been the go-to target in the offense, and tight end Dorian Fleming also provides a nice security blanket.
The run game has been nothing special, with Freddie Brock leading the way in this backfield, but the offense as a whole is underwhelming. The Panthers rank outside the top 80 nationally in Pass and Rush Success Rate. They have scored more than 27 points just once all season.
Underwhelming would be a compliment for this defense. The side of the ball has been dreadful for Georgia State. The Panthers' defense ranks outside the top 100 in every advanced metric. They are terrible against the pass, create no havoc, and allow every opponent to finish drives.
James Madison Dukes Betting Preview: Why The Dukes Will Win
Alonza Barnett III took over for the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year and has done the most important thing you want from your quarterback: protect the football.
Barnett has tossed 18 touchdowns with just two interceptions on the season. He has added five rushing touchdowns and 36.5 rushing yards per game.
Running back George Pettaway has not found the end zone as much as the Dukes would like (three touchdowns) but is averaging more than 70 yards per game and has rushed for 6.1 yards per carry.
James Madison's offensive line is great. It ranks in the top 40 nationally in Line Yards and Rush Success Rate.
The Dukes were held under 20 points in both of their two losses. However, in the six wins, James Madison averages 41.2 points per game and has scored at least 30 in five.
The most remarkable thing about this JMU team has been how good the defense has been despite returning just two starters. The Dukes lost all their best players to Indiana but still rolled out a defense that thanks third nationally in Success Rate allowed.
Linebacker Jacob Dobbs is the heart and soul of this defense after following Chesney to Harrisonburg from Holy Cross. He has totaled 73 tackles to lead the team. Behind Dobbs is a secondary group led by Terrence Spence and Chauncey Logan that flies around and is the best group in the country at forcing turnovers.
Georgia State vs James Madison Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Georgia State and James Madison match up statistically:
Georgia State Offense vs. James Madison Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 81 | 8 | |
| Line Yards | 88 | 21 | |
| Pass Success | 83 | 6 | |
| Havoc | 65 | 25 | |
| Finishing Drives | 89 | 34 | |
| Quality Drives | 100 | 11 | |
James Madison Offense vs. Georgia State Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 36 | 101 | |
| Line Yards | 37 | 112 | |
| Pass Success | 90 | 118 | |
| Havoc | 54 | 119 | |
| Finishing Drives | 84 | 122 | |
| Quality Drives | 72 | 106 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 53 | 74 |
| PFF Coverage | 118 | 16 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 114 | 13 |
| Middle 8 | 124 | 65 |
| Seconds per Play | 26.7 (55) | 26.3 (48) |
| Rush Rate | 44% (120) | 55% (64) |
How To Make College Football Picks For My Georgia State vs James Madison Prediction
This is an excellent spot for James Madison.
The Dukes are coming off a bye week after throttling Southern Mississippi. Georgia State has lost five straight games and is in free-fall mode.
The Panthers will be playing their fourth road game in a row, having traveled to Marshall, Appalachian State, Connecticut, and now Harrisonburg. It’s hard to blame Georgia State for its struggles after starting behind the eight ball with the late coaching change.
McGee is known as an excellent recruiter, but that hardly helps you when you are hired in March. They continued to fight against UConn, which is a good sign. Still, the Huskies also had a roughing the passer penalty, offsides on a fourth down, a pass interference penalty, and dropped an easy interception late in the game to allow Georgia State two late scores to make that game seem closer than it was.
This defense is horrible and ranks 121st in the country in Success Rate allowed. Barnett, Pettaway and the rest of the James Madison offense should have no problem moving the ball on this defense. They have allowed at least 30 points in six of their eight games.
Gibson has been an upgrade at quarterback, but the defense ranks third in the nation and sits 14th in Pro Football Focus's Coverage Grades. They should make things very hard on this Panthers offense.
The Dukes have allowed more than 215 passing yards just once all season, and they have allowed just six rushing scores on the year. James Madison leads the country with 23 turnovers forced in eight games. They have picked off 16 passes and lead the nation with a 23-to-6 turnover margin.
When Chesney has the Dukes rolling, they can pull away from teams. Their six wins have come by 23, 7, 20, 56, 32, and 17 points.
James Madison is still alive in the Sun Belt title race and has plenty to play for. The Dukes are the much better team in the better situational spot.
Pick: James Madison -15.5 (-110, bet365) | Play to -17 (-110)
Georgia State vs James Madison Start Time, Channel, Streaming, How To Watch
| Location: | Bridgeforth Stadium, Harrisonburg, Virginia |
| Date: | Saturday, Nov. 9 |
| Kickoff Time: | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN+ |
Georgia State vs James Madison will be played at Birdgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET. You can stream the game live on ESPN+.
