Liberty Flames vs James Madison Dukes Prediction, 9/5/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Liberty Flames vs James Madison Dukes

Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026

Location: Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, VA

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Dukes (-7.0)

Total/Over-Under: 52.5

Bridgeforth Stadium is the site where the James Madison Dukes (12-2 last season) will try to beat the Liberty Flames (4-8 last year) on Saturday, September 5, 2026. James Madison opens as 7-point favorites. The betting total is set at 52.5.

The Liberty Flames ended the season having a 4-8 record. The last time they stepped onto the field, the Flames faced the Kennesaw State Owls and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 48-42. The Liberty Flames ran the rock 57 times and amassed 291 yards, which came out to an average of 5.1 yds per attempt. In all, they had 79 plays which converted into 503 yards. Liberty relinquished 14 pass completions on 23 attempts for 240 yds, and a completion percentage of 60.9%. Against the run, the Flames conceded 212 yards on 44 attempts, which averages out to 4.8 yards per run allowed.

Regarding getting in the endzone, the Liberty Flames held an average of 25.6 points per game. As a unit they averaged 194.0 yards on the ground, which was 26th in D-1. The Flames had 4,674 total yards over the course of last season. Liberty amassed 11 touchdowns through the air and 25 rushing touchdowns. Liberty earned 245 1st downs as a unit, and they were flagged for 74 infractions for 667 yards. They turned the ball over 22 times.

Regarding yards through the air, the Flames allowed 2,362 yards which put them in 21st in Division 1. During their 12 games, they yielded 196.8 yards per game via the pass and allowed a completion percentage of 57.9%. They yielded 375.8 yards/contest which ranked them 69th in Division 1. They allowed 17 touchdowns via the pass as well as 23 touchdowns on the ground. They allowed teams to run for an average of 4.7 yards per rushing attempt and 179.1 rushing yards per game last season. Overall, they gave up 2,149 rushing yards through 12 outings. The Flames were sitting in 77th in college football when it comes to their opponents scoring, allowing 26.5 points per game.

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The Dukes wrapped up their season holding a 12-2 record. For their last game, the Dukes took a defeat with a final score of 51-34 against the Oregon Ducks. James Madison allowed 26 running attempts for 201 yards (7.7 yards per carry). The Dukes pass defense allowed a completion percentage of 70.4%, surrendering 313 yds on 19 for 27 through the air. The Dukes finished the contest with 509 yds and they ran 84 plays (6.1 yds per play). James Madison ran the ball for 5.3 yards per attempt, finishing the contest with 186 yards on 35 carries.

When it comes to how much they scored, the Dukes were ranked 9th in the country maintaining an average of 37.1 points per game. The James Madison Dukes maintained an average of 452.6 yards/contest, which ranked them 15th in the country. The James Madison offense accrued 1015 penalty yds on 105 violations, which had them sitting 5th in Division 1 in terms of giving up free yards. They tossed 10 picks while losing 6 fumbles and they tallied 316 1st downs. For the previous season, the Dukes threw for 2,955 passing yards together with averaging 211.1 passing yards per game, which ranked 88th in D-1. They averaged 241.5 yards per game via the ground game and ran for 3,381 yards for the season.

The Dukes relinquished 18.4 points per contest, which had them ranked 13th in D-1. James Madison surrendered a total of 1,191 yards via the ground game (85.1 yards per contest) as well as 8 touchdowns via the rush last season. They surrendered 18 touchdowns through the air in addition to 181.6 yards/outing, which had them ranked 19th in college football. The Dukes defense took the field for 847 plays, ranking them 70th in the nation. Their defense totaled 3 fumbles and 14 interceptions in the previous season. Over the course of the season, they relinquished 258 points in total.

Who will win tonight's Flames/Dukes college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Flames +7.0

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