James Madison (JMU) vs Louisville Picks and Prediction for Friday, September 5, 2025
On Friday, the James Madison Dukes (1-0) pay a visit to Louisville, Kentucky, and the L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium to play the Louisville Cardinals (1-0). James Madison opened the regular season with a 45-10 victory over FCS Weber State. Louisville opened its regular season with a resounding 51-17 win over FCS Eastern Kentucky. James Madison does not have any players listed on its injury report, while Louisville TE Nate Kurisky is listed as questionable with a hand injury. Make sure to read this in-depth James Madison Dukes vs Louisville Cardinals prediction. Exciting vibes? Get ready with our free NCAAF picks for James Madison (JMU) Dukes vs. Louisville Cardinals prediction and stay ahead of the game.
Sign Up for Winners and Whiners News Alerts, Get Free Picks and Discounts
Subscribe Now
James Madison is solid on both sides of the line of scrimmage
The James Madison Dukes opened the regular season with 458 yards of total offense, including 313 yards rushing and 145 yards passing. At the same time, James Madison's defense held Weber State to just 148 yards of total offense, holding the Wildcats to 64 yards rushing and 84 yards passing.
Through the first game of the regular season, James Madison quarterback Alonza Barnett III has 130 yards passing with one touchdown, while backup Matthew Sluka has thrown for 15 yards with one touchdown and one interception. George Pettaway leads all rushers for James Madison with 99 yards, and Michael Scott leads all receivers with 38 yards. James Madison has scored four rushing and two receiving touchdowns. The leading tackler for James Madison is linebacker Trent Hendrick with seven. James Madison did not have any sacks in the opening game but did intercept three passes.
Louisville looked strong on both offense and defense, but faces a tougher test on Friday
The Louisville Cardinals opened the regular season with 545 yards of total offense, including 232 yards rushing and 313 yards passing. The Cardinals’ defense held Eastern Kentucky to 150 yards of total offense, including 74 yards rushing and 76 yards passing. Louisville was careless with the ball, committing three turnovers, and was penalized 12 times for 106 yards.
After one game of the regular season, Louisville quarterback Miller Moss has 223 yards passing with one touchdown and two interceptions, while backup Brady Allen has thrown for 69 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Isaac Brown has 126 yards rushing and two touchdowns to lead Louisville in both categories. Chris Bell has 63 yards receiving, and Caullin Lacy is a close second with 62 yards. Louisville scored four rushing and had two passing touchdowns. The Louisville defense is led in tackles by Jordan Guerad with six. The Cardinals have made four sacks, but have not yet intercepted a pass.
Louisville -13.5 (5 units)
The Louisville Cardinals will be too much both on offense and defense for James Madison to remain close enough to cover the spread on Friday. Louisville gave up just 150 yards of total offense to Eastern Kentucky in its opening night victory, and the Cardinals gained 545 yards of total offense. The running attack for Louisville looked tough with 229 yards rushing led by Isaac Brown, who had 126 yards. Quarterback Miller Moss performed well with 223 yards passing but was slightly careless, throwing a pair of interceptions, and cannot afford that against James Madison. The Dukes looked strong on opening night, but facing Louisville is much different than Weber State. Louisville has covered the spread in four of its last six games dating back to last season.
Over (4 units(
Louisville scored 51 points and its opening night victory over Eastern Kentucky and will score plenty of points versus James Madison on Friday. The total has finished over in four of Louisville's last five games, including in the opening game of this season. James Madison scored 45 points against Weber State in its opening game, and the total has finished over in eight of the Dukes’ last 11 games when tagged as the underdog. Both defenses looked solid in their opening night victories, but both face tougher offenses on Friday and will give up more points.
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
Bet $5 & Get $150
