College Football Week 1 Early Odds, Picks & Prediction: Middle Tennessee vs. James Madison (2022)

Aug 30, 2022 - 2:59 PM

Let’s take a look at the College Football Week 1 odds, picks, and predictions for this week’s game: Middle Tennessee vs. James Madison.

Check out our other Week 1 game previews:

• Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia
• Penn State vs. Purdue
• Louisiana Tech vs. Missouri
• Central Michigan vs. Oklahoma State
• TCU vs. Colorado
• Indiana vs. Illinois
• Western Michigan vs. Michigan State
• Old Dominion vs. Virginia Tech
• New Mexico State vs. Minnesota
• Georgia State vs. South Carolina
• Nevada vs. Texas State
• Western Kentucky vs. Hawaii
• North Carolina State vs. East Carolina
• Clemson vs. Georgia Tech
• Boise State vs. Oregon State
• Arizona vs. San Diego State
• Utah State vs. Alabama
• Cincinnati vs. Arkansas
• Florida State vs. LSU
• Utah vs. Florida
• Colorado State vs. Michigan
• Rice vs. USC
• Oregon vs. Georgia
• Louisiana-Monroe vs. Texas
• Notre Dame vs. Ohio State

College Football Week 1 Early Odds, Picks & Prediction: Middle Tennessee vs. James Madison

Middle Tennessee +5.5 at James Madison (+180)

After being a force in FCS for years, James Madison is taking the leap to the FBS. They start off hosting Middle Tennessee in Week 1. James Madison has high hopes, but these transitions are rarely seamless. The Dukes lost a lot on both sides of the ball, and life won’t be quite as easy as it was for them in the lower division. Middle Tennessee was not great offensively last year but seemed to be putting it together late into the season. The Blue Raiders were able to put up points on some of the weaker opponents on their schedule, and James Madison heads into 2022 fitting that profile. Though the Middle Tennessee defense has holes to fill, they could be negated by James Madison’s own offensive holes.

The Blue Raiders are undervalued here and, frankly, the better team. This is a competitive FBS squad capable of going into Harrisonburg and upsetting a James Madison team in both a divisional and roster transition. Look for Middle Tennessee (+180) to start off 2022 with a victory.

Bet: Middle Tennessee +5.5

What is Betting Against the Spread?

Betting “against the spread” refers to the act of choosing the winning team based on a numeric handicap placed on the team that oddsmakers believe is superior, rather than picking the outright winner. For example, if the Rams face the Bengals, and oddsmakers set the spread at Rams -3.5, you would need Los Angeles to win by 4 or more points in order to cash your Rams bet.

What is an Over/Under Bet?

Over/Under is a wager based on how many points you think will be scored in a specific game. Oddsmakers set the total, and bettors decide whether the final score will be higher or lower than that number. If an Over/Under is set at 44.5 points and you bet Over, you will need the combined score of both teams to be 45 points or higher to win your bet.

What is a Moneyline Bet?

A moneyline bet involves choosing which team you believe will win a specific matchup. The moneyline favorite carries a minus designation, like -130. This means that you need to wager $130 to earn a $100 profit. Conversely, the underdog carries a plus designation, like +110. This means that you win $110 in profit on a $100 bet.

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