The state of Florida will host eight FBS bowl games, with the first, the 2024 Boca Raton Bowl, taking place on Wednesday. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-5) are seeking their fourth straight bowl victory as they face the James Madison Dukes (8-4), who are looking for their first bowl win since joining FBS in 2022. WKU finished as runner-up in Conference USA this season, and CUSA teams are 6-0 all-time in Boca Raton Bowl history, with the Hilltoppers winning their two previous appearances. WKU has more than 20 players in the transfer portal, though some, such as quarterback Caden Veltkamp, are expected to play.
The Boca Raton Bowl 2024 will kick off at 5:30 p.m. ET from FAU Stadium. JMU is favored by 7.5 points in the latest James Madison vs. Western Kentucky odds, per SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points is 51.5. Before making any Western Kentucky vs. James Madison picks, make sure to check out the predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine expert Mike Tierney, considering his mastery of picks involving Western Kentucky.
A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. Tierney is 40-24 in his last 64 college football ATS picks, returning $1,335 to $100 players. In addition, he is 11-3 in his last 14 college football picks in games involving Western Kentucky, returning $774. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen big returns.
Now, Tierney has locked in on James Madison vs. WKU and just revealed his coveted CFB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several CFB odds and CFB betting lines for WKU vs. JMU:
- Western Kentucky vs. James Madison spread: JMU -7.5
- Western Kentucky vs. James Madison over/under: 51.5 points
- Western Kentucky vs. James Madison money line: JMU -294, WKY +238
- Western Kentucky vs. James Madison picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Western Kentucky vs. James Madison streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Western Kentucky can cover
The Hilltoppers possess one of the best pass defenses in the country, ranking 18th nationally in yards allowed through the air per game. They've been especially stout recently, as over their last six games, they have as many interceptions (four) as touchdowns allowed. Additionally, they've kept all six of those opponents under 180 passing yards, with three of them being held under 100 yards. Meanwhile, WKY has no such issues of its own in moving the ball through the air as it led its conference in passing yards, passing touchdowns and completion percentage.
Also, one only has to look at the history of CUSA teams in this bowl game to see why the Hilltoppers can cover. Each of the six previous times the conference has sent a team to the Boca Raton Bowl, it has prevailed, including WKY in 2016 and 2021. Additionally, Western Kentucky does the little things well that often go unnoticed as it ranks in the top 10 in FBS in both field goal conversion percentage and in fewest penalties per game. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why the James Madison can cover
No statistic correlates more with winning and losing than turnover margin, and no team in college football tops JMU in that regard. Its margin of +1.42 turnovers per game is the best in the country as it has the sixth-most takeaways (26) and the ninth-fewest giveaways (nine). Meanwhile, Western Kentucky has a negative turnover margin on the year and has been especially sloppy with the ball as of late, with a minus-six turnover margin over its last four games.
The Dukes then make the most of their extra possessions with an offense that bludgeons opponents on the ground. The team has averaged 210.8 rushing yards over its last five games, as James Madison has rushed for more yards than it has allowed passing yards over this span. JMU also ranked second in the Sun Belt in passing touchdowns, and when you combine that with its dominant run game, it's no surprise that the Dukes rank among the top 25 FBS teams in points per game. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Western Kentucky vs. James Madison picks
Tierney has analyzed JMU vs. Western Kentucky from every possible angle. He's leaning Under on the point total and has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. Find out what it is, and which team to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Western Kentucky vs. JMU on Wednesday, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the James Madison vs. Western Kentucky spread to back, all from the expert who is an amazing 11-3 on picks involving Western Kentucky, and find out.
