James Madison began its FBS tenure last year with an impressive 8-3 season, starting 5-0 and breaking into the AP Top 25 in the process. The Dukes finished atop the Sun Belt East, although Coastal Carolina played in the league title game due to transition rules keeping the Dukes from playing for a league title and bowl game.
Barring an unexpected change, the Dukes will be ineligible for postseason play again in 2023 – although JMU can make a bowl game if there aren’t enough eligible teams to fill all the spots. Even without a guaranteed postseason opportunity, JMU enters 2023 expected to be among the Sun Belt’s best teams in 2023, according to experts and the college football betting odds.
BetMGM lists JMU’s win total at 8.5 wins, with +110 odds for over 8.5 and -130 odds for under 8.5 wins. Unlike last season, JMU has a 12-game regular season in 2023.
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Analyzing The Schedule
The Dukes will have their work cut out for them to reach nine wins, with non-conference games against Bucknell, Virginia, Utah State, and UConn. In conference, the Dukes play the rest of the Sun Belt East and South Alabama and Troy from the West.
It won’t be easy for the Dukes to go 9-3, especially with games against UVA, Troy, Utah State, and South Alabama all coming before the calendar reaches October. We’ll know early on this season how capable JMU is of backing up its special first FBS season.
The Dukes’ ending stretch also presents a major challenge. JMU ends its home slate against App State before ending the season on the road against Coastal Carolina, a likely contender to win the East division with Grayson McCall returning at quarterback.
JMU’s schedule is tougher than last year’s, but the Dukes have a strong 2023 roster with improved depth across the team compared to the 2022 group.
Key Questions
JMU hasn’t named a starting quarterback yet, with graduate transfer Jordan McCloud battling with redshirt freshman Alonza Barnett Jr. Last season, Todd Centeio’s stellar play was a key reason why JMU won eight games. When Centeio was occasionally sidelined due to injury, the Dukes took a noticeable step back offensively.
There’s optimism in Harrisonburg that the Dukes improved their quarterback depth over the offseason by bringing in McCloud and Wake Forest transfer Brett Griffis, but JMU still doesn’t have an official starting quarterback. Some bettors may be dissuaded from wagering on the Dukes’ win total until more clarity develops at quarterback. Fortunately for JMU fans, Curt Cignetti has a strong track record of quarterback development.
JMU’s offensive line is expected to be among the Sun Belt’s best, and the front seven of the defense returns a number of key contributors. The secondary – the Dukes are young at cornerback – and wide receiver room are among the most pressing question marks facing JMU.
Cignetti’s roster features talent at both cornerback and wide receiver, but the faces at wide receiver look much different than a season ago. Reliable wide receiver Kris Thornton is gone, but JMU aggressively added talent via the portal, including former North Dakota State standout Phoenix Sproles.
If JMU’s new faces fit well in the system and Centeio’s replacement plays well, the Dukes absolutely have the pieces to navigate their tough schedule and win nine games or more in 2023. If the Dukes take a few weeks to find chemistry, they could be looking at a respectable yet unspectacular 6-6, 7-5, or 8-4 season.
Bennett Conlin is a college football contributor for HERO Sports, and he works full-time covering sports betting industry news and legislation for Sports Handle and US Bets.
