James Madison Dukes vs Kentucky Wildcats Prediction, 11/6/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: James Madison Dukes vs Kentucky Wildcats

Date: Friday, November 6, 2026

Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: James Madison (+25.5)

The Kentucky Wildcats (1-0) will compete against the James Madison Dukes (0-1) at Rupp Arena on Friday. James Madison opens as 25.5-point underdogs from oddsmakers. The over/under is set at 156.5.

The James Madison Dukes faced Miami and took a loss by a score of 86-77 in their last contest. In regard to fouls, the Dukes ended up with 19 and Miami recorded 16 fouls. They also converted 8 of their 24 attempts from long range. Miami walked away from this one shooting 94.1% from the charity stripe by converting 16 of 17 tries. Additionally, Miami pulled down 42 boards (13 offensive, 29 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Miami recorded 15 dimes and had 10 steals in this contest. In relation to the defense, James Madison allowed the other team to go 45.6% from the floor on 31 out of 68 shooting. They also recorded 13 assists for this game in addition to forcing 10 turnovers and earning 6 steals. In relation to grabbing boards, they collected a total of 33 with 14 of them being on the offensive end. From the charity stripe, the Dukes made 9 of 16 tries for a rate of 56.3%. James Madison finished with a 38.6% FG percentage (27 out of 70) and made 14 of their 34 shots from distance.

Paul Jones III is one player who played a role in the game. He accumulated 14 points on 4 of 7 shooting. He played for 22 minutes and grabbed 3 boards. He walked away from this one shooting 57.1% from the field and also totaled 2 assists.

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James Madison enters this one with a record of 0-1 this year. They lose possession via turnover 12.0 times per contest and as a unit they are committing 19.0 fouls per game. As a team, James Madison is grabbing 39.0 rebounds per contest and has 13 assists this season, which ranks 231st in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Dukes are connecting on 41.2% on shots from beyond the arc (14 of 34) and 56.3% from the charity stripe. They have an average of 77.0 pts per contest (197th in the nation) while hitting 38.6% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Dukes are forcing 11.0 turnovers per contest while drawing 16.0 fouls. They are surrendering 33.3% on 3-point attempts while they are 301st in D-1 in PPG allowed (86.0). The Dukes are giving up a FG percentage of 45.6% (31 of 68) and they surrender 44.0 boards per game as a squad. They are currently ranked 247th in Division 1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 15 relinquished this season.

For their last game, the Kentucky Wildcats walked away with a victory by a final of 85-57 when they played Manhattan. With respect to rebounding, Kentucky permitted Manhattan to snag 21 in all (9 offensive). They went 26.9% from beyond the perimeter by shooting 7 out of 26 and finished the game at 12 of 23 at the charity stripe (52.2%). The Wildcats allowed Manhattan to make 19 out of 54 attempts from the floor which gave them a rate of 35.2% in this contest. Overall, the Wildcats ended up shooting 32 out of 60 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 53.3%. In reference to shooting from downtown, Kentucky converted 12 of 31 attempts (38.7%). They were able to bury 9 of the free throws for a percentage of 81.8%. Manhattan had 12 fouls in the game which took the Wildcats to the free throw line for a total of 11 attempts. They also turned it over 14 times, while getting 9 steals in this game. The Wildcats pulled down 26 defensive rebounds and 11 offensive rebounds totaling 37 for this contest.

Milan Momcilovic pitched in for the Wildcats in this contest. He knocked down 8 out of 12 in this game for a field goal rate of 66.7%, and had 5 rebounds. He recorded 24 points in his 28 mins on the hardwood and added 1 assist for this contest.

Kentucky has a mark of 1-0 for the campaign. When it comes to offensive execution, the Wildcats are hitting on 53.3% from the field, which ranks them 73rd in the nation. Kentucky has tallied 85 pts on the year and they collect 40.0 rebounds per contest. They are earning an assist 20.0 times per contest (78th in college hoops) and they turn it over 14.0 times per game. The Wildcats commit 19.0 personal fouls every game and they shoot 81.8% from the charity stripe.

The Kentucky defense surrenders 26.9% on 3-point shots (7 of 26) and opponents are making 52.2% of their shots from the free throw line. They have given up 7.0 dimes and 26.0 boards every game, which is ranked 45th and 53rd in college. The Wildcats on the defensive end are ranked 86th in college hoops in points per game surrendered with 57.0. They are able to force 13.0 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 35.2% from the floor (99th in D-1).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take James Madison (+25.5)

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