by Rod Pearson
Monday, Dec 01, 2025
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Friday, December 5, 2025
Venue: Bridgeforth Stadium, Harrisonburg, VA
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Troy +22.5, JMU -22.5; Over/Under: 47.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Troy +22, JMU -22; Over/Under: 47.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Troy +22.5, JMU -22.5; Over/Under: 47.5 points
Season Record
Troy Trojans: 8-4 (6-2) (1st place, Sun Belt West)
James Madison Dukes: 11-1 (8-0) (1st place, Sun Belt East)
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Recent Form
Troy Trojans: won their last game on the road against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 28-18.
James Madison Dukes: won their last game on the road against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 59-10.
Troy Trojans vs James Madison Dukes Preview and Analysis
Troy is entering this game with an 8-4 record overall and they have a 6-2 record in their conference games too. They are 4-2 in their home games, 4-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against Southern Miss 28-18. Will Crowder was the starting QB and he completed 24/34 passes for 285 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Tae Meadows led the team in rushing yards with 94 and 1 TD. Rara Thomas led the receivers with 118 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 2 TDs. Justin Powe led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while Donnie Smith led the defense in sacks with 2. Devin Lafayette came away with the only interception for them in that one.
James Madison is entering this game with an 11-1 record overall and they have an 8-0 record in their conference games too. They are 6-0 in their home games, 5-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Coastal Carolina 59-10. Alonza Barnett III was the starting QB and he completed 15/21 passes for 207 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Jobadiah Malary led the team in rushing yards with 154 and 1 TD. Braeden Wisloski led the receivers with 64 receiving yards on 4 receptions and 1 TD. Aiden Gobaira led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle while Drew Spinogatti and Xavier Holmes each led the defense in sacks with 1. KJ Flowe came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Troy vs James Madison Prediction
The current betting odds have James Madison listed as a 22.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. James Madison has looked great in their games this season with their 11-1 record overall and their 8-0 conference record which has them right at the top of the Sun Belt with the best record in the conference. They have also looked great on their home field this year with their 6-0 home record. Meanwhile, Troy has looked good in their games this season with their 8-4 record overall and their 6-2 conference record which has them right at the top of their division in the Sun Belt. They have been a good road team too with their 4-2 road record this season. Troy is off a 28-18 win over Southern Miss in their last one and their defense has looked a lot better lately, but their offense has been really up and down all year. They haven't been putting up a ton of points in their games this season and they did just get shut out 3 weeks ago. They haven't been a bad road team, but they don't have the talent that this James Madison team has. James Madison has been rolling over teams all season with a lot of blow out wins under their belt, and their only loss this year was against Louisville, a game which they were in right to the end. No team has really been close to them in the Sun Belt this year and even though they aren't ranked inside the top 25, this is a team that is worthy of the group of 5 playoff spot. Troy isn't going to put up a lot of points against this JMU defense and JMU will be able to pull away throughout the game like they usually do. The best way to place a bet here is on James Madison to cover the spread in this game.
Troy James Madison Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Friday, December 5, 2025 (7:00 pm ET start time) is James Madison 49 Troy 13.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Troy Trojans: 13-5 ATS in road lined games. 8-1 ATS off 3 or more consecutive unders. 13-4 ATS after playing their last game on the road. 11-5 OVER when the total is between 42.5 and 49. 6-3 OVER off a road win.
James Madison Dukes: 4-8 ATS off a road win against a conference rival. 4-11 1H ATS when the total is between 42.5 and 49. 6-14 1H ATS after allowing 14 points or less last game. 9-3 OVER off a road win against a conference rival. 14-7 OVER after scoring 37 points or more last game.
Key Injuries
Troy Trojans: C. Fua'au (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. G. Langlo (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. E. Prather (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed.
James Madison Dukes: G. Weathersby (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Fuller (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Fique (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Adeyi (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. L. Ellis (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“I think it was the best three-phase plan and blend of football and playing the game all season. A specific way for us to have a victory tonight. And that’s because these (coaches) are tied together. This is a close staff that isn’t divided with offense, defense and special teams. Everybody’s with everybody and that’s why I love our staff.” - Gerad Parker after his team’s win against Southern Miss in their last game.
“What I’m proud of is just how quickly they came together and their ability to play and act as a team and to be undefeated in Year 2 in Sun Belt play is obviously a feather in a lot of these guys’ cap. That’s something that nobody can take away from you for the rest of your life." - Bob Chesney after his team’s win against CCU in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Troy Trojans
WR Mothershed, Roman
WR Epps, DJ
WR Higgins, Peyton
TE Conner, Ethan
QB Kilcrease, Tucker
RB Meadows, Tae
James Madison Dukes
WR Ellis, Landon
WR DeGennaro, Nick
WR Sanchez, Jaylan
TE Dippre, Lacota
QB Barnett III, Alonza
RB Knight, Wayne
Statistical Leaders
Troy Trojans
Passing: Tucker Kilcrease (1,414)
Rushing: Tae Meadows (685)
Receiving: RaRa Thomas (495)
Touchdowns: RaRa Thomas (5)
James Madison Dukes
Passing: Alonza Barnett III (2,440)
Rushing: Wayne Knight (1,051)
Receiving: Landon Ellis (532)
Touchdowns: Alonza Barnett III (13)
Coaches:
Troy Trojans: Gerad Parker (2nd season)
James Madison Dukes: Bob Chesney (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
