James Madison Dukes vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Matchup

Check out our free Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs James Madison Dukes pick and preview for this CFB Boca Raton Bowl game in Boca Raton. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this Boca Raton Bowl CFB matchup.

ESPN will be handling the television coverage as the James Madison Dukes and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers face off in the Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton. Kick-off is set for 5:30 ET on Wednesday, December 18th. The Dukes are the -7.5-point favorites in this matchup, with the over/under line currently sitting at 53.5 points. Both teams come in with 8 wins this season, and the money line odds are -253 for James Madison and +204 for Western Kentucky.

Hilltoppers vs. Dukes Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at James Madison Dukes
Where: Boca Raton at FAU Stadium
Date: Wednesday, December 18th
Betting Odds JMAD -7.5, WKENT +204 | JMAD -253 O/U 53.5

Hilltoppers Preview:

Western Kentucky enters Week 1 against James Madison with an 8-5 record. They’ve gone 3-1 at home and 3-4 on the road this season. The Hilltoppers have been favored in four of their 13 games, going 3-1 as the favorite.

Their ATS record stands at 6-5, with a 3-1 mark at home and 3-4 on the road. As favorites, they are 2-2 against the spread, and they’ve covered in four of seven games as underdogs.

The over/under line for this week is 53.5 points. Western Kentucky’s games have averaged 50 points, with their average line at 55.9 points. Their over/under record is 6-5 this season.

Hilltoppers Offense Breakdown

Western Kentucky’s offense is centered around their passing game, ranking 17th in the country with 261.8 yards per game. They are 24th in passing attempts and 16th in completions, with a 66% completion rate. Caden Veltkamp has thrown for 2,806 yards and has a passer rating of 100, with 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

The Hilltoppers are 64th in scoring, averaging 25.5 points per game, and are 80th in our offensive power rankings. On the ground, they average 118.2 rushing yards per game. Elijah Young leads the rushing attack with 846 yards. Kisean Johnson has 66 catches for 855 yards and seven touchdowns.

Hilltoppers Team Defense

Western Kentucky's defense struggled in their recent game against Jacksonville State, allowing 52 points in a 52-12 loss. They gave up 562 total yards, including 386 rushing yards on 56 attempts and five rushing touchdowns. Jacksonville State also threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns.

For the season, Western Kentucky ranks 57th nationally, allowing 24.5 points per game. They’ve given up 224.2 rushing yards per game, ranking 173rd, and 175.5 passing yards per game, which ranks 20th. Opponents have averaged 60.2% completions against them.

Dukes Preview:

Their ATS record stands at 6-5, with a 3-1 mark at home and 3-4 on the road. As favorites, they are 2-2 against the spread, and they’ve covered in four of seven games as underdogs.

The over/under line for this week is 53.5 points. Western Kentucky’s games have averaged 50 points, with their average line at 55.9 points. Their over/under record is 6-5 this season.

Dukes Offense Breakdown

James Madison’s offense is averaging 33.8 points per game, placing them 21st in the nation. They are also 30th in rushing, with 195 yards per game on 38.8 attempts. George Pettaway has rushed for 876 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry, and has scored five touchdowns.

Quarterback Alonza Barnett III has thrown for 2,596 yards, completing 59.9% of his passes. He has 26 touchdowns and four interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 102. James Madison ranks 22nd nationally in passer rating. Yamir Knight leads the team with 567 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Dukes Team Defense

James Madison's defense has been solid this season, ranking 21st nationally by allowing just 20.8 points per game. They’ve given up 198.4 passing yards per game, ranking 53rd, and 124.4 rushing yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of just 65.7 against them, the 8th-lowest in the country, completing only 52.7% of their passes.

In their recent game, a 35-33 loss to Marshall, the defense allowed 35 points and 415 total yards. Marshall ran the ball 42 times for 222 yards and threw for 193 yards on 18 completions.

Hilltoppers vs Dukes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last ten games away from home, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have a straight up record of 6-4 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 27 points per game in this stretch.
Across their ten previous home games, James Madison has an ATS mark of 6-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 6-4 while averaging 32 points per game.
In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.
Against the spread, the James Madison Dukes have put together of 2-3 in their last five games as the betting favorite. In these same games, they went 3-2 straight up.