James Madison vs Oregon Best Bets, Predictions & Picks for Today, December 20

The Oregon Ducks are the real deal among title contenders, and that alone may be a lot for James Madison to handle, as we break down in our CFP best bets and predictions for the matchup.

Aisha Quiñones - Betting Analyst at Covers
Aisha Quiñones • Betting Analyst
Dec 20, 2025 • 18:00 ET • 4 min read
Alonza Barnett James Madison Dukes NCAAF
Photo By - Imagn Images. James Madison Dukes quarterback Alonza Barnett III (14) reacts in the second quarter.

The James Madison Dukes have earned their place in the College Football Playoff and should be every bit as competitive as the ACC teams that could have landed in this spot.

That said, the Oregon Ducks are a legitimate title contender and are rounding into form as they get healthy for a playoff run.

Let's dish on why they could overwhelm JMU in our James Madison vs. Oregon predictions before kickoff at 7:30pm ET at Autzen Stadium.

James Madison vs Oregon CFP predictions

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James Madison vs Oregon best bets

Oregon Oregon -20.5 (-120 at FanDuel)

Oregon has messed around with Group of Five teams in the past, but Lanning looks like he's on a mission this season. Obviously I like Oegon to score here, but the Ducks' ability to limit explosive plays by JMU has me thinking they'll cover this big number.

James Madison/Oregon Under 45.5 (-108 at FanDuel)

That ability to limit explosive plays means I have a slight lean to the Under in this game. The Dukes haven't faced anything like this Oregon defense, and the last time they played a Power Four team, they gained just 263 yards and scored 14 points.

James Madison vs Oregon TD pick

Oregon Jordan Davison anytime TD (-135 at FanDuel)

Jordon Davison is built like a truck and has gotten stronger as the year went on.

Davison finished the season with 535 yards at 6.1 yards per carry with 444 of those yards coming in his last seven games. He’s also become the Ducks' goal-line back and has found the end zone 13 times this season.

Taking Davison to go Over his rushing prop and to score another touchdown reads right into the game script for Oregon and makes all the sense in the world for this SGP.

James Madison vs Oregon prop pick

James MadisonAlonza Barnett Under 25.5 rushing yards (-114 at FanDuel)

James Madison likely has some trickery up its sleeve, but also expect Bob Chesney to try to shorten this matchup. The Dukes already run better than they throw, and they run often to start with the 23rd-highest relative rate in the country, per CFB-graphs.com.

However, that should not be via quarterback Alonza Barnett, at least not extensively. Opponents rarely run their quarterbacks against Oregon due to the quality of the Ducks’ defensive front.

Nonetheless, the Dukes’ focus on the run early would keep the ball out of Oregon’s hands a bit, at which point James Madison can hope variance breaks its way.

Eventually, the Ducks should find success. Once the Dukes are down multiple scores, they will have little choice but to drop back and pass. In those same moments, Oregon’s defensive line will know to do nothing but pursue the passer.

The Ducks conjure pressure on more than 40% of opposing dropbacks, the 10th-highest rate in the country. Those pressures should yield sacks against Barnett, and each sack will count against his rushing total.

Both aspects of this likely game state work against Barnett cracking this prop.

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James Madison vs Oregon odds

James Madison vs Oregon game info

Location: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
Date: Saturday, December 20, 2025
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: TNT

James Madison vs Oregon latest injuries

James Madison vs Oregon weather

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Aisha Quiñones - Covers
Betting Analyst

Hailing from Harlem, New York, Aisha Quiñones joined Covers in 2024 after an illustrious career with several other major media outlets. A proud Johnnie, after graduating from the Big East basketball powerhouse St. John's University, Quiñones earned her bachelor's degree in sport management and journalism, then obtained her master's degree in media studies from The New School.

Over a span of 12+ years, Quiñones has built her portfolio as a writer, dipped her toe into on-camera work, and also been behind the scenes in producing sports content.

Despite being a New Yorker, Quiñones has always been a lifelong Los Angeles Lakers fan thanks to her mom's joy of watching Kobe Bryant play — so much of a fan to the point that Quiñones named her toy poodle after the late-great legend.

Her hometown roots stay true to her MLB and WNBA choice in teams, as a Yankees and Liberty fan, due to her uncle and grandmother's love for the sports throughout her childhood.

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