James Madison vs Duke Odds, Pick & Prediction: Back the ‘Dog

America's favorite underdog made good on all those moneyline tickets in the Round of 64. And the team they will now prepare to face is arguably America's favorite team to hate.

Outside of those who are a part of "The Brotherhood", America will be in alignment on one thing Sunday evening: rooting for No. 12 seed James Madison to knock off No. 4 seed Duke.

Just because the Dukes of James Madison will have the bulk of the fan support doesn't mean that energy will translate directly to a victory. Can James Madison actually topple Duke?

This James Madison team is real. Many wondered if their 31-3 record meant much given they compete in the Sun Belt Conference. But Friday's win over Wisconsin was a statement. The Dukes have only lost to two teams this year (Southern Miss and Appalachian St.), which is impressive in any league. They were simply the better team against the Badgers, making the win seem as though it wasn't an upset at all.

Led by head coach Mark Byington — known for his tactical acumen and ability to inspire his players — James Madison enters the matchup with a blend of tenacity and ambition, aiming to challenge Duke and secure another even more memorable upset victory.

Duke's high-octane offense, characterized by fluid ball movement and sharp perimeter shooting, will test James Madison's defensive resolve. Byington's team will need to have disciplined rotations and a stout interior presence to contain and frustrate Kyle Filipowski and Mark Mitchell. Conversely, the Dukes' ability to dictate the tempo, capitalize on transition opportunities and exploit mismatches could pose challenges for the Blue Devils, forcing them to adapt and respond to James Madison's unrelenting energy.

James Madison enters this game with the nation's longest active winning streak at 14 consecutive games. Despite Duke's resounding win over Vermont, it sure seems James Madison has much more momentum on its side.

Forward Julien Wooden's numbers from Friday's win over Wisconsin aren't eye-popping — just 12 points, three rebounds and one assist. Yet, those who watched the game saw how important his presence was to his team. Wooden is a fifth-year senior and Byington's coach on the floor. His ability to limit the effectiveness of Filipowski and Mitchell will be as important as any contribution he could make in this game.

Duke struggled mightily just prior to the dawn of the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils fell once again to their rival North Carolina in Cameron Indoor in their regular-season finale before falling again to NC State in their first game of the ACC Tournament. So, Friday evening's convincing win over Vermont went a long way toward settling the nerves inside the locker room.

The standout performer from Duke's win over the Catamounts was not who you might typically suspect. Mitchell brings a toughness to Duke that they desperately need and have been missing in many of their key losses this year. Mitchell's 15 points coupled with his interior defensive presence provided an element Vermont simply didn't have a counter to. Given the energy James Madison played with against Wisconsin, Jon Scheyer will need to rely on Mitchell's toughness again.

After a disappointing loss to Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament to end the season last year, Duke fans got a dose of good news in the offseason to cheer their spirits. Their leader, Jeremy Roach, had decided to return for another year. Roach was a key cog in the Final Four run Duke made two years ago and will need to be again this year if the Blue Devils are to make a similar run.

With Caleb Foster being ruled out for the year, coach Scheyer's bench has been shortened. But in the NCAA Tournament, playing with a shorter bench isn't always the worst thing. Timeouts are longer and recovery opportunities for key players are more plentiful. James Madison plays with a lot of energy, so bench players like Jaylen Blakes and Sean Stewart may be used a bit more than usual given Duke has only had a day of rest to recover after all five starters played 35+ minutes.

The public was right in backing James Madison to topple Wisconsin on Friday, and they just may be again on Sunday. It will certainly be the public side to back the Dukes over Duke.

I believe the energy and attitude of James Madison is real. Byington and his team understand the regional importance of this matchup, and I expect them to put forth one of their best efforts of the season against an inconsistent Blue Devils team Sunday.

Pick: James Madison +7.5