On Saturday, August 31, 2024 the James Madison Dukes will visit the Charlotte 49ers at 8:00 PM ET. The Dukes are favored by 8.5 points at DraftKings Sportsbook, while the total for this matchup stands at 48. Here, you will find one of our college football picks for Saturday’s action, as we break down James Madison vs Charlotte in non-conference action.
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James Madison Facing Many Changes In Opener
One of the best stories in all of college football in 2023 was the play of James Madison. The Dukes went 11-2 and finished with the best record in the Sun Belt, despite not being eligible to win the conference championship. This year, the Dukes will look to put together another big year, though they face a ton of changes going into this campaign.
The Dukes have a new head coach in Bob Chesney, who will need to help his team to adjust to a new starting quarterback as well. And with many players transferring to Indiana to join former James Madison coach Curt Cignetti, things are not likely to be easier than they were in 2023 for the Dukes, including in this contest.
Can Charlotte Wake Up Its Offense?
Last season did not go well for the Charlotte 49ers, who went 3-9 overall and 2-6 in American Athletic Conference play. Their offense was woeful a season ago, averaging 17.5 points per game during the 2023 season. This year, they will look to get things started with some better offensive play against James Madison at home.
If Charlotte’s offense is going to be better this season, their running game will have a lot to do with it. They brought in Cartevious Norton from Iowa State and CJ Stokes from Michigan. While neither was a feature back at their last stops, power conference backs could be just what this offense needs to get going.
James Madison vs Charlotte Best Bet
James Madison was great last year and will probably be good again this season. But we do have concerns about the losses that they sustained both in their coaching staff and on their roster in the transfer portal. We will take the points with Charlotte, who should be able to keep this game close even if the Dukes win it outright.
