James Madison Dukes (JMU) vs. Georgia State Panthers Picks and Prediction for Saturday, October 4, 2025
Use Code SSWC We have a thrilling Sun Belt Conference game in Week 6 of the college football season as the James Madison Dukes will be heading to Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday afternoon to face off against the Georgia State Panthers in our Dukes vs Panthers prediction. The game is airing on ESPN+, so this game is going to be nationally televised as both teams are at different levels up to this point. The Dukes (3-1, 1-0 Sun Belt) are on a two-game winning streak as they are coming off a 35-10 home victory over the Georgia Southern Eagles on Saturday. The Panthers (1-3, 0-0) are coming off Sept. 20’s 70-21 road loss against the Vanderbilt Commodores. Find the edge fast with NCAAF picks for the James Madison Dukes vs. Georgia State Panthers.
Dukes looking Good Early On
The James Madison Dukes are looking to continue stepping up to begin the season as they are now 3-1 (1-0 Sun Belt) thus far. The Dukes’ offense has been stepping up as they are averaging 31.2 points per game, ranking 60th in the sport. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III has been stepping up this season as he has completed 57-of-94 (60.6%) of his passes for 593 yards with four passing touchdowns to one interception, while also adding 27 rushes for 84 yards (3.1 yards per carry) with four rushing touchdowns. Running back Wayne Knight has been able to be a legitimate threat in the running game as he has 48 rushes for 341 yards (7.1 yards per carry) with three rushing touchdowns as well as 13 catches for 105 yards (8.1 yards per reception) without finding the end zone.
The defense for JMU has been incredible as they are in college football as they are giving up 15.2 points per game. The Dukes have been putting a solid amount of pressure defensively as they have recorded 13 sacks, 17 pass deflections, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. When it comes to rushing the football, JMU is one of the best teams in the nation, averaging 249.2 yards per game (11th).
Injury Report for James Madison
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- Running back Jobi Malary: Undisclosed (Questionable)
- Running back George Pettaway: Undisclosed (Questionable)
- Running back Ayo Adeyi: Undisclosed (Questionable)
- Offensive lineman Josh Toner: Undisclosed (Questionable)
- Linebacker Jackson Hamill: Undisclosed (Questionable)
- Offensive lineman Brett Davis: Undisclosed (Questionable)
- Defensive lineman Jerald James: Undisclosed (Questionable)
Panthers Searching for Consistency
The Georgia State Panthers need to figure out how to get more consistent if they want to be in a better position after their 70-21 road loss against the Vanderbilt Commodores last time out. Georgia State is only 114th in the country with 20.2 points per game scored. Quarterback TJ Finley, the 6-7 Auburn/LSU/Texas State/Western Kentucky transfer, is completing 54-of-82 (65.9%) of his passes for 527 yards with three passing touchdowns to three interceptions.
The defense for the Panthers has been playing at a terrible level as they are giving up 48.0 points per game, which is 136th in college football and 503.2 yards per game (135th). Their defense has turned the pressure up to get them to that point as they have recorded five sacks, 14 pass deflections, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Offensively, they are averaging 348.2 yards per game (96th) and just 109.5 rushing yards (11th).
Injury Report for Georgia State
No injuries to report
James Madison Dukes vs. Georgia State Panthers Pick
Spread Pick for JMU vs. Georgia State
- James Madison Dukes -19.5 (5 units)
There is a reason why the Dukes are 4-0 against the spread while the Panthers are 0-4 against the spread. Alonza Barnett III is not going to put the football in harm’s way and has one of the best defenses in the nation, allowing just 3.8 yards per play so far. Georgia State’s offense is struggling to score as they recorded more than 21 points just once this season. They are also allowing 227.2 rushing yards per game and they are facing one of the top rushing teams in the nation. There is a significant difference between these programs, and the rest advantage is not a big enough factor here, so take JMJ eating the points.
Over/Under Pick for JMU vs. Georgia State
- Under 54.5 (5 units)
This one is simple. I don’t know how many points we can realistically expect Georgia State to score in this game. They scored 21 two weeks ago against a solid Vanderbilt team, but 12 of those points came in the second half, down 25+ points. James Madison can run the ball extremely well and eat up clock later in the game to basically have a running clock in the second half so take under 54.5 points as the better option.
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