Friday Night Football features a matchup between Louisville and James Madison.
The Dukes are a trendy Group of Five pick this season, but they'll have their hands full against a Louisville team coming off a blowout win over Eastern Kentucky.
My James Madison vs. Louisville player props highlight a few Cardinals as I break down my favorite college football picks for September 5.
James Madison vs Louisville props for Week 2
Skinner anytime touchdown (+190)- Brown o94.5 rushing yards (-114)
Barnett u1.5 passing touchdowns (-188)
Prop bet #1: Jaleel Skinner anytime touchdown
There haven’t been many missing elements on offense during the Jeff Brohm era at Louisville. However, one area where they’ve been a little light is at the tight end position.
Brohm seemed intent on improving that last season, and Jaleel Skinner is a good candidate to emerge this year. Boasting a physical advantage at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, he’ll be an easy look inside the 20s for the Cardinals.
Because most of their drives ended on big plays, Louisville only passed once in the red zone with Miller Moss in its opener against Eastern Kentucky. At this number, Skinner is underpriced, and I expect him to see a good amount of volume when it matters most.
Prop bet #2: Isaac Brown Over 94.5 rushing yards
I believe Isaac Brown is the best running back in the country. The Cardinals' star gave a glimpse of that last week by rushing six times for 126 yards.
Most books are shaded just over 100.5 for his rushing O/U on Friday, with DraftKings standing out at 107.5 at a plus-money price. That feels hugely significant, and it’s hard to pass up a discounted price at FanDuel.
James Madison is undersized and lacks physicality in the trenches. Brown's ability to create chunk plays (7.1 YPC a season ago) will exploit that.
Prop bet #3: Alonza Barnett Under 1.5 passing touchdowns
Even at this juiced price, this number just isn’t rooted in reality, and I would take it all the way to -205.
As mentioned in my James Madison vs. Louisville early leans, the most lopsided matchup in this game is likely the Cardinals’ defensive line going against the JMU O-line.
The Dukes finished near the bottom of the FBS last season, allowing 13 sacks. Although Louisville's defensive line lost a few pieces from last season, it still has a few capable pass rushers who can make their presence felt.
The best way to negate that is by running the ball, and I expect James Madison to do a ton of it in this matchup.
Thus, this naturally has value because we won't see many instances where Alonza Barnett drops back to pass — particularly in the red zone. Considering Louisville’s edge up front and JMU’s run-heavy approach near the goal line, it's hard to see Barnett having the volume to threaten this number.
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