Tag: James Madison Dukes

March Madness: Friday’s best first-round underdog picks and predictions

Beat the Sportsbook: Here’s Friday’s 3 best underdog bets for the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

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Being a proud alum of George Mason University, I know a thing or two about a Cinderella story. “By George, the dream is alive” are words that echo through my mind every year during this tournament.

Did you forget about 2022 when 15-seed Saint Peter’s went on an amazing run to the Elite 8. They took down 2-seed Kentucky, 7-seed Murray State and 3-seed Purdue before finally falling to the 8th-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels.

There will be upsets during this tournament, but when will they happen? That’s the question on everyone’s mind and what I aim to uncover here.

Below, we break down BetMGM Sportsbook’s (OR FanDuel Sportsbook’s) NCAA Tournament odds and lines and list Friday’s best 1st-round upset bets to cash in on among SportbookWire’s expert college basketball picks and predictions.

Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

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NCAA Tournament best Friday first-round underdog picks

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 4:03 p.m. ET. All game times ET; ML = moneyline.

JAMES MADISON (+176) vs. Wisconsin – 9:40 p.m.

The Dukes are one of only 4 teams in the country to win 30 games this season. Their 31st victory came in the Sun Belt Tournament title game, 91-71 over Arkansas State. They are led by Sun Belt player of the year Terrence Edwards Jr., who averaged 17.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. James Madison won 16 of their last 17 games, which includes a current 13 game win streak.

Wisconsin limped to the finish of the regular season, losing 3 of their last 4 games before making a run to the Big Ten Tournament title game. The Badgers were 3-9 away from Madison this season.

In the past 40 years, there have been 53 No. 12 over No. 5 seed upsets. This is crazy to think about, we’ve had as many years without a 12-over-5 upset as we’ve had 3 12-over-5 upsets in the tournament.

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UAB (+240) vs. San Diego State – 1:45 p.m.

The Blazers won their final 5 games including 3 in the American Athletic Conference Tournament to earn their ticket to the Big Dance. UAB beat  Wichita State, South Florida and then Temple in the title game 85-69. They are led by 1st-team All AAC player Yaxel Lendeborg, who averaged 13.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 blocks per game. UAB is one of the nation’s best at drawing fouls and making free throws. They were 2-1 against Top 25 teams this season.

San Diego State was inconsistent down the stretch, going 4-4 over their final 8 games of the regular season. This team is known for playing tough defensively which could get them into foul trouble in this matchup. They are one of the best teams in the country at guarding the 3, but UAB is not known for their outside shooting. The Aztecs offense can be inconsistent which can be a problem in this tournament.

I already gave you all the stats on why we love a 12-over-5 seed in this tournament.

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UTAH STATE (+146) vs. TCU – 9:55 p.m.

Utah State had won 7 straight games before falling in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament 86-70 to San Diego State. First-team All Mountain West player Great Osobor averaged 18 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and shot nearly 60% from the field. He should have his way on the interior against a TCU defense which struggles in the paint. The Aggies were 2-0 against teams in the Top 25 this season.

The Horned Frogs lost 3 of their last 4 games of the regular season before falling in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament 60-45 to Houston.

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March Madness: Best NCAA Tournament first-round upset picks and predictions

Beat the Sportsbook: Here’s 4 best underdog picks and predictions for the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

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The best part about the NCAA Tournament is upsets, unless, of course, you’re betting the favorites. We’ll take a look at several underdogs who are a good bet to play straight up.

Below, we break down BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament odds and lines and list the best 1st-round upset bets to cash in on among SportbookWire’s expert college basketball picks and predictions.

It’s always interesting when a lower seed is favored. That’s not what we mean by upsets. We’ll pick several teams who are underdogs by more than a few points, who are good plays to cover a big number or just win straight up.

Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

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NCAA Tournament first-round upset picks

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 9:41 p.m. ET. All game times ET; ML = moneyline.

NC STATE ML (+190) vs. Texas Tech – Thursday, 9:40 p.m.

The Wolfpack are the only team to win 5 games in 5 days to claim the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship. It’s an impressive feat, but the Wolfpack isn’t likely done.

NC State enters the NCAA Tournament with a lot of confidence after that amazing run, and it is actually the longest winning streak for the Wolfpack this season. And it’s the 1st time NC State has won more than 2 games in a row against Power 6 teams.

Texas Tech has sunk like a stone since the end of January. The Red Raiders lost at TCU on Jan. 30, and they’re actually 6-7 straight up (SU) in the past 13 games. While only 1 of those losses came against a non-NCAA Tournament team, it’s a rather frequent occurrence.

The Red Raiders are just 6-9 in Quad 1 games, while the Wolfpack was just 3-8 in Q1 contests.

If you’re a little more on the conservative side, NC STATE +5.5 (-115) still isn’t a bad play, if you can’t go all the way on the moneyline.

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SAINT PETER’S +21.5 (-110) vs. Tennessee – Thursday, 9:20 p.m.

The Peacocks made a miraculous run to the Elite Eight in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. That team, led by the mustachioed Doug Edert, coach Shaheen Holloway, etc. broke up prior to the 2023 season. Edert transferred to Bryant, Holloway took the Seton Hall job, taking KC Ndefo with him, and Daryl Banks III went to St. Bonaventure.

In other words, those casual fans who see Saint Peter’s, they should know this is a completely different group.

The Volunteers are a No. 2 seed, and they’re fully expected to advance. However, this is an awfully big number for a team coming off 2 consecutive losses. The Vols lost a marquee battle to Kentucky in the regular-season finale on March 9 at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, 85-81 as an 8.5-point favorite, and then it was throttled 73-56 by Mississippi State in its 1st game in the SEC Tournament.

Tennessee has sharp-shooter Dalton Knecht, who was just 4-of-17 from the field for 14 points in the loss to Hail State. He’ll be looking to dent a Peacocks defense which ranked just 161st in the country, according to covers.com, in 3-pointer defense.

Saint Peter’s allowed teams to shoot 33.3% from behind the arc, and the Peacocks really had a difficult time scoring, going for just 65.9 PPG, one of the lowest totals in the country, while hitting just 39.7% from the field. Still, this is an awfully big number.

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WESTERN KENTUCKY +14.5 (-110) vs. Marquette – Friday, 2 p.m.

The Hilltoppers caught fire in the Conference USA Tournament, roughing up New Mexico State by 20, and belting Middle Tennessee by 31, before easing by UTEP 78-71 in the championship game. Western Kentucky covered all 3 games in the C-USA tourney, it has covered 4 in a row, and the ‘Toppers are 9-3 ATS across the past 12 outings.

The Golden Eagles are a No. 2 seed, but they’re a team which is playing .500 ball across the past 6 games, going 3-3 SU and ATS. Of course, the losses are against Creighton, a No. 3 seed in this tournament, and twice to top overall seed UConn.

The big concern with Marquette is the health of F Oso Ighodaro, who carries a questionable tag due to a knee injury, as well as G Tyler Kolek. The latter suffered an oblique injury Feb. 28 against Providence, and he has been sidelined for the past 6 games. He is listed as probable, so he is expected to face Western Kentucky, but will there be some rust? It’s likely.

As far as Ighodaro is concerned, he banged up his left knee, and missed the final 7 games of the Big East title game loss. And G Stevie Mitchell is also nursing a tender left shoulder injury, so Marquette enters this game banged up. That’s good news for Western Kentucky, and its backers.

JAMES MADISON +5.5 (-110) vs. Wisconsin – Friday, 9:40 p.m.

The Dukes got their season off to a great start with an upset over another Big Ten team, Michigan State. James Madison won 79-76 in overtime in East Lansing on Nov. 6, and it was the first of 28 victories against just 3 losses.

Wisconsin tasted defeat 13 times, and it was really in danger of missing this NCAA Tournament all together before stringing together 3 straight wins in the Big Ten Tournament, including a victory over No. 1 seed Purdue, to get its resume in order. The Badgers went all the way to the title game, falling to Illinois 93-87 on Sunday in a thriller.

This is a tough draw for Wisconsin, though. JMU averages 84.6 PPG, and it shoots at a blistering 47.6% from the field. If there is an Achilles’ heel, it’s free-throw shooting, as the Dukes are a dismal 71.1% from the stripe, leaving some points on the floor. And defensively, James Madison allows teams to hit just 28.8% from behind the arc, and that was 5th in the nation defensively.

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Air Force ends losing streak with Armed Forces Bowl victory over James Madison

The Falcons rushed for 351 yards as a team and held the ball for more than 37 minutes, never letting James Madison get enough momentum.

Air Force ended its 2023 regular season on a four-game losing streak, but the Falcons managed to find a silver lining with a 31-21 victory over James Madison in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Saturday.

The Dukes won 11 of their 12 regular-season games, but James Madison had no answers for Air Force fullback Emmanuel Michel.

The senior had the best game of his collegiate career against James Madison, with 203 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries. He broke off a 54-yard dash on the Falcon’s first play from scrimmage, pushing his way into the end zone a few plays later for the game’s first score.

Michel forced his way into the end zone from one yard out for a second time in the middle of the second quarter, extending Air Force’s lead to 14-7.

The Falcons’ running game in general dominated the game, as Air Force ran for 351 yards as a team and averaged 5.6 yards per carry. James Madison’s inability to slow down the ground game also led to a severe imbalance in time of possession, with Air Force holding the ball for more than 37 minutes.

The slow burn was on full display in the second half with both teams combining for seven possessions. Air Force scored 10 points, and James Madison never had enough chances with the ball to come back despite only punting once after halftime.

Here are the best photos from Air Force’s win.

2023-2024 College Football Coaching Carousel

Texas A&M hires Duke’s Mike Elko as the coaching carousel continues to spin.

The end of the college football season is here and the coaching carousel is once again getting fired up. This season saw two early head coaching changes within the Big Ten to get an early jump on things, but more coaching changes are popping up as we close in on the end of another regular season around the nation.

We’ll keep track of all of the head coaching changes in our updated coaching carousel tracker to see what head coaches are out and who is replacing them. This will be updated daily as needed with the latest head coaching changes as jobs open up and are filled. As is so often the case in college football, one coaching vacancy being filled will lead to another opening popping up as a result.

As of Thursday, Dec. 8 there are 2 head coaching vacancies in college football, including 1 power conference job to fill. A total of 19 head coaching changes have been made this year.

Below is the updated chart for this year’s edition of the head coaching carousel in college football. After that is a bit more detail on each job opening, listed in alphabetical order.

JMU set to hire Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney

The Dukes are closing in on their next head coach.

According to multiple reports, the James Madison Dukes are close to making a hire. With Curt Cignetti leaving following the bowl game to take over the Indiana Hoosiers program, the Dukes had an opening following its second season as members of FBS.

Per Pete Thamel of ESPN, JMU is targeting current Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney. Chesney has served as the head coach of the Crusaders football program since 2018. In that time, Chesney is 44-21 and 28-4 in Patriot League play.

Overall, as a head coach, Chesney is 111-46. His tenure spans three programs and dates back to 2010. He was named AFCA FCS Region 1 Coach of the Year in 2022. That year Holy Cross finished 12-1 and lost in the Division I Quarterfinals, it was his best season with the Crusaders.

This would be the first opportunity at the FBS level for the 46-year-old head coach. Chesney began his coaching career with Norwich University in Vermont when he collegiate playing career ended at Dickinson in 1999.

James Madison and Jacksonville State earn bowl berths after all, despite NCAA eligibility rules

James Madison and Jacksonville State are IN.

James Madison won’t need to take legal action against the NCAA after all.

Following the final week of regular-season football, the Dukes will in fact be able to play in a bowl because not enough teams crossed the six-win threshold to fill the 82 bowl spots.

JMU (11-1), as well as Jacksonville State (8-4), were previously ineligible for a bowl due to being in their second years of transition from FCS to FBS. After a 10-0 start, the Dukes requested an NCAA waiver for bowl eligibility, but it was denied, prompting the Virginia Attorney General to threaten legal action. After losing its first game last week, JMU decided not to follow through on the threat, but kept it open as a possibility. Now, those plans can now be scrapped altogether. Both teams are in.

This is great news for those teams and their fans, though it won’t likely make people feel any better about the two-year grace period that will remain in place for future teams making the leap.

 

 

App State trolled James Madison’s bowl ineligibility after upsetting the unbeaten Dukes

App State has jokes

The Game of the Year (so far) in college football took place in Harrisonburg, Virginia on Saturday as AP No. 18 James Madison saw it’s perfect season come to an end at home against Appalachian State, 26-23, in overtime.

This game had everything. With ESPN’s College GameDay on hand, the Dukes came back from a 17-5 deficit in the fourth quarter thanks to a 4th-and-18 conversion, a last-minute touchdown and a successful two-point try that tied App State at 20 just before the clock expired. The Mountaineers held JMU to a field goal to start overtime and then ended the game on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Joey Aguilar to Kaedin Robinson.

For James Madison, an undefeated season was pretty much all the Dukes had to play for this year. Due to NCAA rules prohibiting programs from bowl game eligibility for two years after transitioning from FCS to FBS, James Madison will not be able to participate in any postseason contests.

The NCAA denied the school’s request for a waiver earlier this week. Obviously, this is quite a shame for a JMU team that has more than earned the opportunity to appear in a bowl game. But it was also perfect fodder for an App State social team that couldn’t wait to pour some salt in the Dukes’ wounds after handing them their first loss of the year.

So much pain in so few words.

NCAA denies bowl waiver for James Madison and other new FBS schools

The Dukes, along with Jacksonville State and Tarleton State, were denied by the NCAA Division I Board Administration Committee on Wednesday.

The NCAA stood by its decision to not let James Madison, Jacksonville State, or Tarleton State participate in bowl games for this postseason, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s decision came from the NCAA Division I Board Administration Committee, which agreed with the three previous rulings made on the case.

By rule, college football programs that move up from the FCS to the FBS are banned from participating in bowl games for their first two seasons in the new subdivision. The rule has come under fire after James Madison, a second-year FBS program, won its first 10 games of the season.

James Madison sent a letter signed by the school president, athletic director, and rector of the board to the NCAA Board of Directors last week asking for reconsideration.

“Our student-athletes have achieved an astonishing, unprecedented level of success during this period,” the school’s letter read. “Relief is warranted as a matter of student-athlete welfare. The membership recognizes postseason participation as a fundamental element of the student-athlete experience.”

The Dukes and Jacksonville State could still reach a bowl game if there aren’t enough teams with a .500 record or better.

Penn State moves ahead of falling Oklahoma in updated US LBM Coaches Poll

After five ranked teams took a loss this weekend, here’s how the updated US LBM Coaches Poll looks following Week 9.

There was some turbulence in the weekend college football schedule in Week 9. Five ranked teams took a loss this weekend, leaving some room to rework the rankings a bit just days before the first release of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s rankings this week. The US LBM Coaches Poll had some changes to address after this weekend’s college football results.

Oklahoma was the only team ranked in the top 10 to suffer a loss. The setback by the Sooners against Kansas was a notable development in the Big 12, although the Sooners remain on top of the Big 12 standings going into November, and don’t forget that they own a key head-to-head victory over Texas and Iowa State.

With Oklahoma dropping five spots this week, that allowed Penn State to move up one from no. 10 last week to no. 9 this week. Penn State sits one spot behind Alabama, who maintained its ranking from a week ago at no. 8. No. 7 Oregon passed the Crimson Tide this week after a dominating win at Utah.

There were no changes with the top five with Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, and Washignton keeping their rankings, respectively.

Losses by North Carolina and Duke also led to some changes in the bottom half of this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll top 25 with Duke dropping out entirely. And a late-night loss by Oregon State left some room for more reshuffling of the rankings this week.

Here is a look at this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll.

Despite scare from UCF, Sooners remain at No. 6 in latest AP Poll

Oklahoma remains No. 6 in the latest AP Top 25 despite a less than stellar showing at home vs. UCF.

Oklahoma’s scare from UCF was sure to catch the eye of the rest of the nation. Still, considering how the rest of the Associated Press’ top 10 looked on Saturday, it’s hard to hold the two-point win over Oklahoma’s head.

And that’s exactly how things turned out in the latest version of the AP Top 25. Despite their struggles, Oklahoma remained at No. 6 this week in the newest release of the poll.

They were also No. 6 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

The entire top six remains unchanged.

Georgia, who was on their bye, remains the No. 1 team in the country. Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines are No. 2 after dismantling in-state rival Michigan State. Ohio State stayed at three after shutting down Penn State at home. Washington, who held off a scare from Arizona State, remains locked in at five.

Behind the Sooners stand the Texas Longhorns, who, despite playing less than impressively against Houston, moved up because of the Nittany Lions’ loss. Oregon and Alabama are eight and nine, while James Franklin’s Penn State Nittany Lions round out the top 10.

UNC was not so fortunate to escape an upset and lost at home to UVA. The Tar Heels fell seven spots. Duke dropped four spots to No. 20 after Florida State pulled away with a 21-point fourth quarter.

The USC Trojans are teetering on the brink of the unranked after dropping six spots to No. 24 following their last-second loss on to Utah.

Iowa dropped out of the Top 25 after taking its second loss and was replaced by No. 25 James Madison. The Dukes are the first Sun Belt team to be ranked this season.

As for the rest of the Big 12? No other teams are ranked, but Kansas State and Oklahoma State are receiving votes.

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