The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns take on the James Madison Dukes in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
James Madison is favored by -17.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -850. The total is set at 47.5 points.
Here’s my Louisiana vs. James Madison prediction and college football picks for Saturday, October 11, 2025.
Louisiana vs James Madison Prediction
- Louisiana vs. James Madison Pick: Louisiana +17.5
My James Madison vs. Louisiana best bet is on the Ragin Cajuns spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Louisiana vs James Madison Odds
| Louisiana Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+17.5 -108 | 47.5 -110o / -110u | +575 |
| James Madison Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-17.5 -112 | 47.5 -110o / -110u | -850 |
- Louisiana vs James Madison point spread: James Madison -17.5
- Louisiana vs James Madison over/under: 47.5 points
- Louisiana vs James Madison moneyline: Louisiana +575, James Madison -850
Louisiana vs James Madison Pick, Betting Analysis
In the preseason, this would've been one of the premier games, as Louisiana was projected to be a top team in the Sun Belt West.
But it didn't play out that way, as the Ragin Cajuns lost three of their first four games. They were really in scramble mode because they didn't have somebody in the backup quarterback role that was competent enough to run the offense and throw them out of situations.
Well, they've now discovered Lunch Winfield and his talent.
He's a dual threat who's averaging eight yards per carry and has three rushing touchdowns on the ground. That unlocks this offense and makes it very dangerous — very similar to what James Madison wants to do on the ground when it gets humming.
For James Madison, the issue at hand is it's been so unsuccessful the last couple of weeks in early downs. The Dukes spend half of their games in third down, and they're weren't converting third downs even against poor defensive foes like Georgia Southern and Georgia State.
That results in a lot of empty possessions, punts and close, low-scoring games in which the offense isn't humming. Their running backs have been hurt, too.
This is a spot where James Madison really has to be careful. I'm not going to say the Dukes lose this game outright, but it's a tough ask for them to win by three touchdowns when they have a massive foe looming.
The game they really want to get is next week — a must-win against Old Dominion. I think the idea here is grab a double-digit lead, grind this game down and get out of town with a win.
I can't lay almost 18 points. In fact, I have a play in pocket on Louisiana, and it's a bet I really like.
Defensively, the Ragin Cajuns will provide some resistance to an offense that's been a little out of sync. Winfield and the running game can do just enough to possess the ball, stay on the field and keep this one low scoring.
I see this being about an 11-to-14-point win for James Madison.
Pick: Louisiana +17.5
