College Football Week 7 Odds, Picks & Predictions: James Madison vs. Georgia Southern (2022)
Let’s take a look at the College Football Week 7 odds, picks, and predictions for Saturday’s game: James Madison vs. Georgia Southern.
Check out our other College Football game previews for Week 7:
- Auburn vs. Ole Miss
- Maryland vs. Indiana
- LSU vs. Florida
- Clemson vs. Florida State
- Stanford vs. Notre Dame
- Alabama vs. Tennessee
- Penn State vs. Michigan
- USC vs. Utah
- Eastern Michigan vs. Northern Illinois
- Kansas vs. Oklahoma
- Syracuse vs. North Carolina State
- Toledo vs. Kent State
- North Texas vs. Louisiana Tech
- California vs. Colorado
- Arkansas vs. BYU
- Arizona vs. Washington
- Nevada vs. Hawaii
- UTSA vs. FIU
- Western Kentucky vs. Middle Tennessee State
And here are our top picks of the weekend:
- Thor Nystrom's Best College Football Week 7 Bets
- Bogman's College Football Week 7 Best Bets & Predictions
- College Football Week 7 Odds, Picks, & Predictions: Under-the-Radar Plays
Check out Thor Nystrom’s Week 7 College Football Power Rankings >>
College Football Week 7 Odds, Picks & Predictions: James Madison vs. Georgia Southern
James Madison (-12) @ Georgia Southern
This is all about riding the hot hand, and no one is hotter than the James Madison Dukes! James Madison is undefeated against the spread this season, and they are doing it with an extremely efficient offense and a defense that has played stronger than expected. The Dukes are led by transfer QB Todd Centenio who has a 15/1 TD to INT rate, has a top 10-QB grade, and is 4th in PFF grade among QBs. WR Kris Thornton leads JMU in receptions, receiving yards, and TDs, and the run game is scattered among three RBs and Centenio, that all add up to an average of over 200 yards per game.
Georgia Southern is moving their offense from a triple-option system under former HC Chad Lunsford to a pass-heavy system under Clay Helton. The transition is better than expected, with GS currently at 11th in passing yards per game and 28th in PPG. The run game hasn't slipped as much as expected, coming in just above average nationally with 170 yards per game. The issue for Georgia Southern has been the turnovers. QB Kyle Vantrease has thrown 11 INTs to 13 TDs, and even with the defense earning over a turnover a game, Southern is still down five turnovers for the season, which is tied for 6th worst in the country.
I mentioned before that James Madison has a strong defense, but I may have undersold them. JMU is holding teams to 15 PPG (14th), is allowing less than 200 yards per game, and is first in rushing yards allowed as the only team giving up less than 50 yards per game. James Madison puts points on the board and then brings pressure when teams are passing to catch up. They have 18 sacks on the season, and those are spread out among 10 players.
If the game script turns out as we expect, it will not be a good look for a QB that has as many turnovers as Vantrease. Georgia Southern's defense is average against the pass statistically and in PFF grades, but they are ranked 126th against the run and have a rough tackling grade. If Vantrease can play mistake-free, Georgia Southern could be in this game, but that is doubtful, and James Madison will be too strong for them to handle. The Dukes win by two TD or more!
Pick: James Madison -12 (-115)
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