The James Madison Dukes will try to remain unbeaten when they face the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon. James Madison cruised to a 38-3 win over FCS Bucknell in Week 1, but it did not cover the 46.5-point spread. Virginia is coming off a 49-13 loss to Tennessee in Nashville, failing to stay within the 27.5-point spread. The Dukes and Cavaliers are only around 60 miles apart, but this is their first meeting in 40 years. 

Kickoff is set for noon ET on Saturday at David A. Harrison III Field at Scott Stadium. James Madison is favored by 6 points in the latest Virginia vs. James Madison odds, while the over/under is set at 40.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any James Madison vs. Virginia picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. The proprietary computer model is off to a fast 4-2 start on all top-rated college football picks this season. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of more than $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on James Madison-Virginia. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines for the game:

  • Virginia vs. James Madison spread: James Madison -6
  • Virginia vs. James Madison over/under: 40.5 points
  • Virginia vs. James Madison money line: Virginia: +187, James Madison: -230
  • Virginia vs. James Madison picks: See picks here

Why Virginia can cover

Virginia is returning home for the first time since Nov. 12, 2022, and it has a more favorable matchup than it did last week. The Cavaliers could be without starting quarterback Tony Muskett due to a left shoulder injury, with true freshman Anthony Colandrea set to make the start if Muskett is unavailable. James Madison has some quarterback concerns of its own after Alonzo Barnett II was benched in the third quarter last week. 

Barnett completed just 3 of 11 passes for 15 yards and an interception, so Jordan McCloud is expected to start on Saturday. This is just the Dukes' second season at the FBS level, and it failed to cover the spread last week. They have only covered twice in their last seven games and have just one win in their last nine games against ACC teams. 

Why James Madison can cover

Virginia got off to a slow start last week, getting blown out by Tennessee in a 49-13 final. The Cavaliers finished with just 202 total yards of offense while allowing the Vols to rack up 499 yards. Muskett went down with a shoulder injury in the second half, and Colandrea completed just 2 of 7 passes for 12 yards in relief. 

James Madison has momentum as a program after briefly appearing in the top 25 last season and opening this season with a 38-3 win. Kaelon Black rushed for 125 yards on 10 carries, while three of his teammates scored rushing touchdowns. The Dukes have covered the spread in six of their last eight road games, while Virginia has only covered the spread five times in its last 15 games. See which team to pick here. 

How to make Virginia vs. James Madison picks

The model has simulated James Madison vs. Virginia 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Virginia vs. James Madison, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the James Madison vs. Virginia spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that's up more than $2,500 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.