Troy Trojans vs James Madison Dukes Prediction, 10/29/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Troy Trojans vs James Madison Dukes

Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026

Location: Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, VA

TV: ESPN2

Odds/Point Spread: Dukes (-21.5)

Total/Over-Under: 50.5

The James Madison Dukes (7-1) will try to beat the Troy Trojans (3-4) at Bridgeforth Stadium on Thursday, October 29, 2026. James Madison opens this contest as 21.5-point favorites from oddsmakers. The betting total is set at 50.5.

The Troy Trojans come into this matchup with a record of 3-4 for this season. The last time they took the field, the Trojans faced off with the UL Monroe Warhawks and ended up losing by a score of 21-14. The Troy Trojans ended up rushing 47 different times and totaled 153 yards, which came out to an average of 3.3 yards per carry. On the day, they ran 65 plays for 200 yds. Troy allowed 17 pass completions on 31 attempts for a total of 149 yards, and a completion percentage of 54.8%. Against the run, the Trojans conceded 94 yards on 30 tries, which calculates to 3.1 yards per rush allowed.

The Trojans have racked up 2,616 total yards this season. When it comes to distribution of touchdowns, Troy has earned 10 touchdowns via the pass and 10 rushing touchdowns. They have turned the ball over 9 different times. Troy has amassed 138 first downs as a team, and they have been called for 48 penalties for 502 yards. As a unit they average 197.3 yards on the ground which is 28th in the nation. Concerning scoring points, the Troy Trojans have an average of 22.9 PPG.

The Trojans are sitting in 76th in the nation when it comes to their opponents scoring, giving up 24.9 points per contest. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.0 yards per rush on the ground and 129.4 rushing yards per game this year. In total, they have given up 906 rushing yards through 7 games. Regarding passing yardage, the Trojans have given up 1,438 yds which has them ranked 47th in Division 1. They have conceded 205.4 yards per game via the pass and allowed a completion percentage of 60.5%. Over the course of this year, they are allowing 334.9 yards per contest putting them at 50th in the country. They have allowed 13 touchdowns via the pass as well as 8 touchdowns pounding the rock.

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The Dukes head into this matchup 7-1 for this season. The last time they took the field, the Dukes took a defeat with a final score of 34-31 against the Appalachian State Mountaineers. James Madison allowed 31 rushing attempts for 81 yds (2.6 yds per carry). The Dukes pass defense gave up a completion percentage of 65.9%, surrendering 285 yds on 29 out of 44 passing. The Dukes finished with a total of 423 yds on 76 plays (5.6 yds per play). James Madison rushed for 3.1 yards per carry, finishing with 92 yds on 30 attempts.

The James Madison Dukes are averaging 456.3 yards/contest, which has them sitting 18th in the nation. The James Madison offense has racked up 605 yards of penalties on 60 violations, which is 20th in the nation in terms of giving up free yards. They are averaging 207.3 yards per game on the ground and have run for 1,658 yards in total. They have thrown 2 interceptions while losing 4 fumbles and they have tallied 174 1st downs. In relation to the points being put on the board, the Dukes are ranked 5th in Division 1 holding an average of 41.4 points per contest. For the season thus far, the Dukes currently have a total of 1,992 passing yards not to mention an average of 249.0 passing yards per contest, which has them sitting 44th in D-1.

James Madison has allowed a total of 881 yards on the ground (110.1 yards per outing) and 5 touchdowns via the rush for the campaign. They have surrendered 11 touchdowns from the passing game in addition to 242.5 yards/contest, which puts them in 112th in D-1. This year, they have conceded 146 total points. Their defense has tallied 5 fumbles recovered and 7 interceptions on the season. The Dukes defense has taken part in 564 plays, which has them sitting 133rd in the country. The Dukes are allowing 18.3 points per contest, which has them 25th in the nation.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Dukes -21.5

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