The James Madison Dukes play the Louisville Cardinals on Friday, September 5, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. ET at L&N Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, with coverage on ESPN2.
Game Details
- Date: September 5, 2025
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- Location: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, KY
- TV Broadcast: ESPN2
Betting Odds
- Spread: Louisville -14.5 (EVEN) / JMU +14.5 (-120)
- Total: 57.5 (O/U -110)
- Moneyline: Louisville -650 / JMU +425
Team & Trend Insights
- James Madison has covered the spread in 5 of its last 10 games.
- Louisville is just 4-6 against the spread in its last 10 games, with coach Jeff Brohm’s teams struggling as double-digit favorites (career ATS record in that range is 8-11 between Louisville and Purdue).
- The OVER has hit in 7 of Louisville’s last 10 and in their last 3 games.
What we learned in Week 1
Louisville (1–0) looked explosive…and sloppy. The Cards hammered Eastern Kentucky 51–17 and piled up 542 total yards, including 229 rushing at 7.6 yards per carry. Sophomore RB Isaac Brown popped two long scores and finished with 126 yards on 6 carries. USC transfer Miller Moss was efficient (17/25, 223 yards, TD) but tossed two interceptions. Louisville’s front four feasted (4 sacks), special teams housed a 93-yard punt return (Caullin Lacy), yet discipline was an issue: 12 penalties for 106 yards and a -3 turnover margin. That’s the good, the bad, and the keep-you-up-at-night for Jeff Brohm on a short week.
Drilling down on takeaways from local coverage: the film folks in Louisville circled the turnovers and flags as correctable but very real concerns heading into a stiffer matchup with praise for Brown’s burst and new pass-rusher Clev Lubin.
James Madison (1–0) did James Madison things. The Dukes smashed Weber State 45–10, churning out 313 rushing yards on 44 carries (7.1 YPC) and 458 yards overall. QB Alonza Barnett III got the start (14/22, 130 yards, TD; plus a rushing TD), and veteran Matthew Sluka mixed in (TD pass and TD run). RB George Pettaway led with 99 yards on 10 carries while Wayne Knight ripped a 59-yard TD. Defensively, JMU held Weber to 148 total yards and picked off three passes. That’s their blueprint: physical run game, opportunistic defense.
Who’s available (and who isn’t)
Jeff Brohm said starting TE Nate Kurisky (hand) and starting LT Trevonte Sylvester remain out for JMU, while CB Rodney Johnson Jr. (ankle) is expected back. He didn’t update OL Victor Cutler or DE C.J. May, who also sat last week. That’s a tangible hit to Louisville’s protection and TE room; getting Johnson back helps on the perimeter.
JMU vs Louisville Matchups
JMU run game vs. Louisville front seven
This is strength on strength. The Dukes just rolled up 313 on the ground, with a 1–2 punch of Pettaway/Knight and QB keeper wrinkles with Barnett/Sluka. Louisville’s defensive front looked fast and physical (4 sacks, tons of havoc) but that was against an FCS line; the gap closes here. If JMU stays on schedule on early downs, the Cards’ pass rush has fewer chances to tee off.
Louisville’s explosives vs. JMU’s ballhawks
Moss can drive the ball and this receiving corps stretches you horizontally and vertically, but the two interceptions last week weren’t flukes one late, one telegraphed. JMU took the ball away three times Saturday and typically breaks well on intermediate routes. With Sylvester out at LT, any leakage off the edge increases turnover risk.
Hidden yards
Lacy’s punt-return TD swings win probability in a hurry, but penalties gave EKU life they didn’t earn. Twelve flags won’t fly against a buttoned-up JMU team that’s comfortable playing field position. If Louisville trims the penalties even down to a typical 6–8 the Cardinals’ athleticism usually wins out.
Tempo & game script
Both teams ran the ball well in openers, and both defenses were ahead of the offense situationally (JMU allowed 10 points, UL allowed 150 total yards before garbage time). Friday feels like a game where Louisville lands the first haymaker, JMU squeezes the clock with the run, and we trade long, time-consuming drives rather than a track meet. That naturally nudges the Under into play especially with Louisville down a starting tackle and tight end.
Best Bets & Pick
- Side: James Madison +14.5 (-120)
At two full touchdowns (or better), JMU’s ground game and defensive organization give them multiple paths to cover: clock drain, one extra Louisville giveaway, or a garbage-time TD. Louisville is the better roster and has game-breaking speed, but missing the starting LT and TE plus last week’s -3 turnover and 12-penalty profile make a back-door feel very live. I make this Louisville by ~10–13 on median outcomes. - Total: Under 57.5 (-110) – lean
Both teams leaned run and both defenses flashed top-end athleticism in Week 1. Unless we get multiple short fields via special teams/turnovers again, the pace points to mid-50s rather than the 60s. (Shop around; number is widely 57.5.)
Props to monitor (if posted)
- Isaac Brown anytime TD. Role + burst + red-zone usage popped off the screen.
- JMU RB rush yards (Pettaway/Knight) over if a modest line appears; usage and scheme support it, and UL’s edge is more in pass rush than brick-walling inside zone.
Louisville vs James Madison prediction
Louisville 31, James Madison 20 (JMU +14.5 covers; total 51 stays Under 57.5). That result fits the tape: Louisville’s superior athletes create a few explosive plays and win comfortably, but the Dukes’ run game and mistake-aware defense keep this from becoming a blowout.