Week 5 of the college football season is upon us.
After three straight early bet wins in Week 2 (FIU -9.5), Week 3 (Virginia Tech -3) and Week 4 (Troy vs. Utah State under 48.5), Action Network senior writer Collin Wilson returns with another Group of 6 wager in Week 5.
Let's dive into Wilson's college football picks and NCAAF predictions for Marshall vs. James Madison in Week 5 below.
College Football Picks for Marshall vs JMU
| Marshall Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+18.5 -112 | 54.5 -112o / -108u | +740 |
| JMU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-18.5 -108 | 54.5 -112o / -108u | -1250 |
Our early pick of the week remained hot through Week 5, and now we're going back to the team we started with in Week 1.
James Madison was a wrecking ball in September, going undefeated while creating a cumulative margin of 130 points through four games. Head coach Billy Napier sits at 1-0 in the Sun Belt East after taking down Old Dominion this past week.
The Dukes have created a top-30 run game from an efficiency standpoint, as fifth-year senior George Pettaway has powered the zone read attack with four touchdowns.
Quarterback Camden Coleman took over as the starter in Week 2 against Wagner and is now sitting at seven passing touchdowns to just a single interception.
While the Dukes have put up impressive margins on each opponent, the defense has been lights-out with a top-10 rank in both Success Rate allowed and EPA allowed.
On the other side, Marshall limps into Harrisonburg after a narrow victory over an FCS team. The Herd's track record isn't good despite their 3-1 record. In fact, their win over Missouri State produced a 34% post-game win expectancy.
Marshall's current second-order win total comes in at 1.4, far off from the three wins logged this season.
The Action Network Betting Power Ratings projects James Madison as an 18-point favorite, in line with the current market.
The unknown factor is Marshall's floor after it needed a last-second field goal to beat Gardner-Webb. The Herd rank bottom-10 in Havoc allowed and tackling, and sit dead last in Pass EPA allowed.
Expect Coleman to find plenty of targets in the passing game as Marshall struggles to stay out of the cellar of FBS power ratings.
Pick: James Madison -18
