James Madison Dukes vs Air Force Falcons Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 12/23/2023

Game Time: 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, December 23, 2023

Venue:  Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX

Where to Watch:  ABC

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  JMU -2.5, AFA +2.5; Over/Under:  41 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  JMU -2.5, AFA +2.5; Over/Under:  41 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  JMU -2.5, AFA +2.5; Over/Under:  41 points

James Madison Dukes:  11-1 (7-1) (1st place, SBC East)

Air Force Falcons:  8-4 (5-3) (4th place, MWC)

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James Madison Dukes:  won their last game on the road against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 56-14.

Air Force Falcons:  lost their last game on the road against the Boise State Broncos 27-19.

James Madison is entering this game with an 11-1 record overall and they have a 7-1 record in their conference games too. They are 5-1 in their home games, 6-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Coastal Carolina 56-14. Jordan McCloud was the starting QB and he completed 26/35 passes for 324 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Ty Son Lawton led the team in rushing yards with 73 and 1 TD. Elijah Sarratt led the receivers with 107 receiving yards on 6 receptions and 3 TDs. Aiden Fisher led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle while Mikail Kamara led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.

 

 

 

Air Force is entering this game with an 8-4 record overall and they have a 5-3 record in their conference games too. They are 4-1 in their home games, 3-2 in their road games, and they are also 1-1 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They lost their last game against Boise State 27-19. John Busha was the starting QB and he completed 8/17 passes for 131 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Dylan Carson led the team in rushing yards with 132 and 1 TD. Brandon Engel led the receivers with 57 receiving yards on 4 receptions. Johnathan Youngblood led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 6 assisted tackles while Caden Blum led the defense in sacks with 1. Jayden Goodwin and Jalen Mergerson each came away with 1 interception for them in that game.

The current betting odds have Air Force listed as a 2.5 point underdog in this Armed Forced Bowl game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Air Force has looked really good this season with their 8-4 record overall but they did get off to a really strong start before regressing in their final few games. They haven't looked good in their games lately as they have been dealing with injuries to Zac Larrier who was running this offense very well at the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, James Madison has also looked great all season with their 11-1 record overall as they have been rolling over teams all year, their only loss coming to App State. James Madison is dealing with a lot of players entering the transfer portal though, including their starting QB. James Madison was the best team in the Sun Belt this season but they were ineligible to compete in their conference championship. There is no real motivation for this team now with all the players leaving in the transfer portal and even the head coach has already taken a job elsewhere. Air Force didn't look great to end the season but they will be looking to bounce back here and end their season on a positive note after coming so close to being in the MWC Championship. The best way to place a bet here is on Air Force to cover the spread in this game. 

James Madison Air Force Prediction:  Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, December 23, 2023 (3:30 pm ET start time) is Air Force 20 James Madison 13.

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James Madison Dukes: 15-8 ATS in all games. 13-7 ATS as a favorite. 9-4 ATS after 1 or more consecutive wins against the spread. 13-7 OVER as a favorite. 8-4 OVER off 1 or more straight overs. 7-1 OVER off a road win. 10-3 OVER after 1 or more consecutive wins against the spread.

Air Force Falcons: 18-38 ATS off a road loss against a conference rival. 0-5 ATS on a neutral field where the total is 42 or less. 11-6 OVER in a bowl game. 9-3 OVER as a neutral field underdog of 7 points or less. 4-1 OVER off 1 or more straight overs.

James Madison Dukes:  A. Nwabuoku-Okonji (DL) out for season - Leg. J. Green (DL) out for season - Knee. S. Vanhorse (RB) out for season - Lower Body.

Air Force Falcons:  Z. Larrier (QB) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. D. Kinamon (WR) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. J. Roznos (WR) Ques Sat - Undisclosed.

"Every member of our football program is honored and excited to represent JMU in its first ever bowl game. We understand the unusual circumstances that we are in, and that only makes us smile even more. From Coach Challace McMillin recruiting young men in registration lines to begin the program over 50 years ago to today, we say thank you and will make JMU Nation proud. We now have a destination. It's time to hone our focus on the process of preparation and daily excellence. We'll see you in Fort Worth. Go Dukes!" - Damian Wroblewski on his team playing in the Armed Forces Bowl.

“That’s football; that’s life. It happens sometimes.” - Troy Calhoun after his team’s loss against Boise State in their last game of the college football regular season.

WR Sarratt, Elijah 

WR Brown, Reggie 

WR Sproles, Phoenix 

TE Horton, Zach 

QB McCloud, Jordan 

RB Black, Kaelon

WR Engel, Brandon 

WR Hallstrom, Luke 

TE Rillos, Caleb 

QB Larrier, Zac 

RB Calvert, Aiden JR 

FB Burk, Owen 

Passing: J. McCloud (3400)

Rushing: K. Black (594)

Receiving: E. Sarratt (1076)

Touchdowns: R. Brown (9)

Passing: Z. Larrier (744)

Rushing: E. Michel (747)

Receiving: J. Roznos (332)

Touchdowns: E. Michel (9)

Coaches:

James Madison Dukes: Damian Wroblewski (Interim)

Air Force Falcons: Troy Calhoun (17th season)