The final game of the opening round of the College Football Playoff will take place out west in Eugene when the 12-1 Sun Belt champion James Madison Dukes head to Autzen Stadium to take on the 11-1 Oregon Ducks. Football will air at 7:30 pm ET on TNT, and the winner will advance to the Orange Bowl to play the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
To prepare for this playoff matchup, here are my favorite bets for James Madison vs. Oregon.
James Madison Dukes vs. Oregon Ducks odds
Cash line: James Madison +1000 / Oregon -2000
Spread: James Madison +21 (-115) / Oregon -21(-105)
Total: Over 46.5 (-110) / Under 46.5 (-110)
James Madison Dukes vs. Oregon Ducks best bet #1: James Madison +21 (-115)
Some would argue that James Madison doesn’t belong on the same field as Oregon, and while that may be somewhat true, this game profiles as one where the Dukes can stay. Both James Madison and Oregon are methodical in their offensive approach, ranking outside the top 100 in seconds per game this season while posting top 40 rushing averages since Week 9. Both teams also do well on standard downs, which puts their offenses in order to get manageable chances on third downs.
As such, I expect a few things from this matchup compared to the average college football game, and the clock running for most of the contest. Holding points against this big of an underdog in a game with a total value in the mid-40s is already impressive enough, but when you add in the style of play of each team, holding the key number of +21 makes a ton of sense.
James Madison Dukes vs. Oregon Ducks best bet #2: Braeden Wisloski anytime touchdown scorer (+450)
If we like James Madison to cover the number, we have to like the Dukes to get at least a touchdown or two on Saturday. The problem is that while JMU is a heavy team, Oregon has a good stop defense. The Ducks haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown to a running back since their Week 8 game against Rutgers, and they’ve been successful in containing the quarterbacks for the most part. Therefore, the Dukes will have to be productive on the air if they want any chance to close out – much less pull off the upset. That’s where Braeden Wisloski comes in. The junior wide receiver’s target share is pretty low, but he’s making the most of his opportunities to say the least. All four of his touchdowns have come since the beginning of November, and that number leads the team in that stretch.
It won’t be easy for the Dukes to get into the red zone – but if they do, they’ll have a good chance to score. Oregon is 126th in red zone scoring allowed, giving up 18 touchdowns on the opposing team’s 24 red zone trips. That may not happen if Wisloski can break one with a long touchdown. He has big upside, producing catches of at least 25 yards in six games despite only 20 receptions this year.
