James Madison-Appalachian St. betting: Odds, Week 8 preview, picks, start time for Thursday college football

James Madison aims stay undefeated when it visits Sun Belt foe Appalachian State for a college football Week 8 matchup on Thursday night. The Dukes (7-0, 4-0) are among the teams sitting just outside the AP Top 25 despite their appearance in last year's College Football Playoff, where they lost in the first round to Oregon. Appalachian State (4-2, 1-1) beat Coastal Carolina in Week 7 to snap a two-game losing skid, and the Mountaineers always relish a chance at an upset. The Dukes are 12.5-point favorites in the latest James Madison vs. Appalachian State odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, and the Over/Under for points scored is 56.5. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, N.C. Bet on James Madison vs. App State at DraftKings and get $200 in bonuses and three months of NBA League Pass when you spend $5+:

We're breaking down the latest James Madison vs. Appalachian State odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and highlighting our best bet for this Sun Belt clash, with help from the SportsLine Projection Model. The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. It entered Week 8 on a 59-49 run on all top-rated college football picks at betting sites, returning nearly $600 for $100 players. Anybody following its picks on college football betting sites could have seen strong returns.  

James Madison vs. Appalachian State betting odds (via DraftKings)

James Madison vs. Appalachian State betting preview

The Dukes are on a mission to get back to the CFP, where they lost to Oregon 51-34 in the first round. They opened the season with a seven-point victory against Liberty before blasting Wagner 87-3. They faced a tough test at Georgia Southern, winning that one 27-24 on the road before cruising past Georgia State 49-22 last week. JMU rushed for 250 yards in that victory, with George Pettaway leading the way with 119 yards and a TD, while quarterbacks Camden Coleman and JC Evans combined for 47 yards on the ground. Evans accounted for three touchdowns, also throwing for 80 yards and a score, while Coleman threw for 185 yards and two TDs. The Dukes also had four pass-catchers with at least 40 receiving yards. The offense averages 461 yards and 42.9 points per game, both tops in the Sun Belt, split pretty evenly between rushing (223.7) and passing (237.3). The Mountaineers average 29.5 points, sixth in the conference. Coleman has thrown for 1,335 yards, with 17 TD passes and just one interception, while Pettaway has 667 rushing yards and seven TDs. Receiver Corey Scott and tight end Cole Keller are both over 300 receiving yards and have four touchdowns apiece.            

The defenses look pretty even, with JMU sixth in total defense in allowing 350.7 yards per game and App State seventh at 352.3. The Dukes do have the edge in scoring defense, allowing just 16 points per game, best in the Sun Belt, while ASU yields 21.8 (third). JMU is also +7 in turnover margin, taking the ball away 12 times, and has 18 sacks. It has 11 players with at least one sack, with linebackers JT Hooten and Nakian Jackson sharing the team lead with 2.5 each. The Mountaineers have forced 11 turnovers and are plus-4 but have taken the QB down just nine times, with Caleb Sandstrom getting five of those.

The Mountaineers got back on track last weekend after losing a 41-31 shootout with NC State and a 10-3 squeaker against Old Dominion. Jaquari Lewis ran for 85 yards and scored four touchdowns as Appalachian State rallied to beat Coastal Carolina 35-32 last Friday night. Backup quarterback Henry Hasselbeck led the team with 125 rushing yards and also threw for 112 and had his first touchdown pass. Malachi Singleton started and threw for 151 yards on 12-for-14 passing before sitting out the second half as part of a planned rotation. He has also been dealing with a leg/ankle injury. The senior has thrown for 1,429 yards, with seven TD passes and two interceptions. Hasselbeck has 157 passing yards but is second on the team with 220 rushing yards in part-time work. Lewis has rushed for 346 yards and eight touchdowns.    

App State is 4-2 against the spread this season but has covered just once in four home games, while three of its six contests have gone Over the game total but just one at The Rock. JMU is 3-1 to the Over in Sun Belt games and 4-3 O/U overall, while it is 6-1 against the spread, with it only failing to cover once in three road games. The Dukes demolished App State in last season's meeting, winning 58-10 at home as the visitors managed just 146 total yards and just a single yard on the ground.

Get $250 in bonus bets via bet resets with the Caesars Sportsbook promo code CBSSPORTSBR250:

James Madison vs. Appalachian State picks, prediction

Under 56.5

Both offenses have been inconsistent, though both have put up big yardage, and JMU's scoring numbers are skewed by some big output against bad teams. The Dukes have scored 27 points or fewer in three of their seven games and haven't allowed more than 24 points in any. The defenses are going to be the key to this game, and they're two of the best in the conference. They allow fewer than 38 points combined, and both make it tough to run the ball. The SportsLine model has Under 56.5 hitting in 63.1% of its simulations, with the pick earning an 'A' grade.