The 12th-seeded James Madison Dukes attempt to extend their winning streak and pull off another upset when they face the No. 4 seed Duke Blue Devils on Sunday in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. James Madison (32-3) enters with the longest active run in Division I after stunning fifth-seeded Wisconsin 72-61 on Friday for its 14th consecutive victory. Duke (25-8), which was eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year, defeated Vermont 64-47 in its first-round contest on Friday.
Tipoff from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY is set for 5:15 p.m. ET. The Blue Devils are 7.5-point favorites in the latest Duke vs. James Madison odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 148. Before making any James Madison vs. Duke picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Duke vs. James Madison and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for James Madison vs. Duke:
- Duke vs. James Madison spread: Blue Devils -7.5
- Duke vs. James Madison over/under: 148 points
- Duke vs. James Madison money line: Blue Devils -298, Dukes +238
- DUKE: The Blue Devils are 19-11-1 against the spread as favorites this season
- JMU: The Dukes are 19-14-1 ATS overall in 2023-24
- Duke vs. James Madison picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Duke can cover
The Blue Devils led the Catamounts 34-29 at halftime but clamped down defensively over the final 20 minutes, allowing just 18 points - the fewest scored by an opponent in the second half this season. The 47 total points by Vermont were the fewest given up by Duke in an NCAA Tournament game since the Blue Devils routed Hampton 87-45 in the 2011 opener. The Blue Devils have held 28 of their last 33 opponents below their respective scoring average this season.
Freshman guard Jared McCain and sophomore forward Mark Mitchell shared the team lead with 15 points apiece on Friday, with the former grabbing six rebounds and the latter finishing with five boards. Senior guard Jeremy Roach finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists, while sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor drained a trio of shots from beyond the arc en route to 13 points. Sophomore center Kyle Filipowski, who leads Duke with an average of 16.7 points per game, scored a career-low three in the victory but pulled down 12 rebounds and added four assists, three blocks and two steals. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why James Madison can cover
The Dukes opened the scoring against the Badgers on senior guard Noah Freidel's 3-pointer just 31 seconds into the game and never looked back en route to their 17th win in 18 contests. With its 32nd overall victory, James Madison matched Connecticut for most in Division I this season. Junior guard Terrence Edwards Jr., who has a team-high average of 17.3 points per game, led four players in double figures on Friday with 14 points and also pulled down five rebounds.
Senior forwards Julien Wooden and T.J. Bickerstaff scored 12 points apiece for the Dukes, while senior guard Michael Green III added 11 off the bench. Bickerstaff, who leads the team in rebounding (8.5) and is second in scoring (13.4 points), reached double figures in points for just the second time in five games and finished one board shy of his 12th double-double of the season. Freidel, who is third on James Madison with an average of 12 points, finished with eight against Wisconsin but looks to get back on track after recording at least a dozen in each of the team's three games en route to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Duke vs. James Madison picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 153 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations. You can see the picks only at SportsLine.
So who wins Duke vs. James Madison, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the James Madison vs. Duke spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 148-106 roll on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
