In the 2024 Boca Raton Bowl, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will face off against the James Madison Dukes. Both of these teams secured eight wins this season and will look for a ninth win to finish out their 2024 campaign. James Madison is favored by 6.5 points coming into this contest, while the total for the game has been set at 51.5 points.
Below, you will find our preview for Western Kentucky vs James Madison in the Boca Raton Bowl. You will also find my best bet for this contest between opponents from Conference USA and the Sun Belt, as we leverage our many years of college football betting experience to deliver the best possible picks all bowl season long.
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Can Western Kentucky Get Back On Track In Season Finale?
Playing in one of the first days of the college football bowl schedule was not where the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wanted to be after appearing in the Conference USA championship game. But after losing 52-12 in the CUSA title game to Jacksonville State, that is where the Hilltoppers ended up. Western Kentucky lost three of its final four games heading into bowl season, with their lone win over that span coming in their regular-season finale against a Jacksonville State team with nothing left to play for.
Going into this game, the transfer portal is a huge storyline for the Hilltoppers at the quarterback position. Their starter in the CUSA title game, Caden Veltkamp, has entered the transfer portal along with TJ Finley. Veltkamp is expected to play in this game before figuring out where he wants to go after this season, but it will be interesting to see how his upcoming decisions impact his play, if at all.
James Madison Looks to Snap End Of Season Losing Streak
The James Madison Dukes lost their last two games of the regular season in the Sun Belt, falling to App State and Marshall. But things weren’t all bad for the Dukes in their first season without head coach Curt Cignetti, who had a wildly successful first season at Indiana. The Dukes went 8-4 on the year and they will look to finish their year with a bowl game victory over Western Kentucky.
For that to happen, James Madison has some quarterback questions of their own to answer before this game. Starting quarterback Alonza Barnett is out of this game for the Dukes due to injury, which will thrust Billy Atkins into action in his place. Atkins threw one pass this season, an incompletion in a blowout win over Georgia State, and the junior will need to get up to speed in a hurry to help his team in this bowl game.
Western Kentucky vs James Madison Best Bet
Our best bet for Western Kentucky vs James Madison in the Boca Raton Bowl is for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers to cover the spread as an underdog. While the transfer portal and injuries have had their impact on both sides of this game, JMU going with a completely unproven commodity at quarterback is not likely to work out in their favor here. We will go with the underdog in what should be a fun game to watch from Boca Raton.
