This could end up being a fun in-state rivalry for years to come, as the Battle of the Blue Ridge series between James Madison and Liberty is scheduled to take place 10 times from 2025 to 2040.
Time will tell if this year’s edition will be fun to watch.
JMU is currently the No. 6 team in the HERO Sports Group of Five Top 25 media poll. The Dukes are 1-1 after opening the season with a 45-10 win over Weber State and then kept it close before losing to Louisville 28-14 a couple weeks ago. They had last week off to prepare for this clash with Liberty.
The Flames, meanwhile, are 1-2. Though it was close early on, Liberty had to go on a run in the fourth quarter in order to beat Maine earlier this season. But then the Flames lost 34-24 at Jacksonville State and 23-13 at Bowling Green.
Liberty would certainly love to bounce back and win at home.
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JMU vs. Liberty College Football Betting
Liberty is a +8.5 college football betting odds underdog against James Madison, with the Over/Under being 46.5.
The moneyline for James Madison is -325, while it’s +260 for Liberty.
JMU vs. Liberty On TV
The matchup between James Madison and Liberty will be televised on ESPNU.
The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 20. The contest is taking place at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia.
JMU vs. Liberty Prediction
I’m picking JMU to win and cover the 8.5-point spread. I’m also projecting the game will go Under 46.5 total points.
I’ve been encouraged by what I’ve seen from JMU, even if the Dukes sputtered on offense in the second half against Louisville. And while the Flames could come back and be competitive against Conference USA teams, I haven’t seen enough from them to think they will keep this game to single digits. Liberty has already lost to Jacksonville State and Bowling Green by 10 points each.
Now, JMU’s offense hasn’t been perfect. The Dukes got out of a rhythm when they went back and forth between Alonza Barnett III and Matthew Sluka at quarterback. But I think that situation will figure itself out, and it could be in this game following a bye week.
This pick is mostly based on what JMU’s defense is capable of. The Dukes are allowing 206 yards per game, and though it’s early in the season, that’s the fewest in the Group of Five and the seventh-fewest in the FBS. JMU is also top 10 in the country with 117.5 passing yards per game allowed.
If JMU’s secondary can make things difficult for Liberty, and if the Dukes can get pressure on the quarterback, I think the Dukes could win by 20 or more points.
