Teams looking to end their season on a positive note square off when the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers take on the James Madison Dukes in the 2024 Boca Raton Bowl on Wednesday. Both teams enter Wednesday's tilt with an 8-4 record. WKU reached the C-USA Championship Game but ultimately fell 52-12 against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. The Dukes, meanwhile, limp into this contest having lost two straight, including a 35-33 double-overtime setback against Marshall on Nov. 30.
Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday at FAU Stadium. After opening at -3, James Madison is now favored by 7.5 points in the latest James Madison vs. Western Kentucky odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under is 51 points. Before entering any Western Kentucky vs. James Madison picks or 2024 Boca Raton Bowl bets, you'll want to see the college football predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and it went a profitable 43-34 on all top-rated picks this season. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen impressive returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on James Madison vs. WKU in the Boca Raton Bowl 2024. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college football betting lines for WKU vs. James Madison:
- Western Kentucky vs. James Madison spread: James Madison -7.5
- Western Kentucky vs. James Madison over/under: 51 points
- Western Kentucky vs. James Madison money line: JMU -294, WKU +238
- Western Kentucky vs. James Madison picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Western Kentucky vs. James Madison streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Western Kentucky can cover
Quarterback Caden Veltkamp has already submitted his name in the transfer portal but he is set to play in Western Kentucky's bowl game against James Madison. Veltkamp played well for the Hilltoppers this season, throwing for 2,806 yards, 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He's completing 66.6% of his passes and has thrown two or more touchdown passes in six of his last nine games, a big reason why he was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.
The Hilltoppers are 2-0 in the Boca Raton Bowl, defeating Memphis in 2016 and Appalachian State in 2021. Plus, James Madison will be without starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who suffered an injury in the regular-season finale against the Thundering Herd. The Dukes will turn to Billy Atkins, who will be making just his second career start. Atkins' only other start came against Marshall in 2022, a game in which he threw four interceptions in a home loss. See which team to pick here.
Why James Madison can cover
Though they have concerns at quarterback, the Dukes feature an explosive offense that is extremely tough to defend. James Madison is averaging 33.8 points per game this season, which ranks 24th in the nation. Running back George Pettaway leads the Dukes' ground game. The sophomore tailback recorded 148 carries for 880 yards and five rushing touchdowns during the regular season. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry and will likely be heavily involved in James Madison's game plan with Barnett III sidelined.
Western Kentucky's defense has had trouble stopping the run this season, giving up 221.9 rushing yards per game, which ranks 129th in college football. In addition, James Madison is 15-5 in its last 20 games when playing as the favorite, while Western Kentucky is 1-4 against the spread in its past five games. See which team to pick here.
How to make Western Kentucky vs. James Madison picks
The model has simulated James Madison vs. Western Kentucky 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over on the total, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins James Madison vs. Western Kentucky in the 2024 Boca Raton Bowl, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up well over $2,000 on top-rated spread picks since its inception, and find out.
