James Madison vs. Troy prediction, odds: 2026 Week 9 college football Thursday picks from proven model

Troy travels to Harrisonburg for a Sun Belt Conference showdown with James Madison on Thursday night at Zane Showker Field at Bridgeforth Stadium. James Madison (7-1, 4-1 Sun Belt) has been one of the best teams in the conference this season under quarterback Camden Coleman, who has led the Dukes to a strong record and is coming off a tough road loss to Appalachian State last week. Troy (3-4, 1-2 Sun Belt) is looking to play spoiler against one of the better teams in the league. Visit our Kalshi promo code review and get a $55 bonus after $25+ in trades with the Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55:

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Zane Showker Field at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Va. James Madison is a 19.5-point favorite in the latest Troy vs. James Madison odds, with the over/under at 50.5. Before making any Troy vs. James Madison picks, check out the Troy vs. James Madison predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model. 

Troy vs. James Madison odds

Troy vs. James Madison spread

James Madison -19.5

Troy vs. James Madison over/under

50.5 points

Troy vs. James Madison money line 

James Madison -1205, Troy +825

Troy vs. James Madison picks

See picks at SportsLine

Troy vs. James Madison streaming 

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Top James Madison vs. Troy predictions

After simulating Troy vs. James Madison 10,000 times, SportsLine model is going Over 50.5 points at betting apps. James Madison has the Sun Belt's top-scoring offense at 41.4 points per game. Four of its past five games have cleared the total, so the market hasn't been able to fully adjust to the points the Dukes are putting up. 

Troy doesn't have the same level of firepower, but the Trojans have scored at least 14 points in two of their past three games and they scored 17 against Missouri earlier this year, so there's plenty of evidence that they can contribute at least a couple scores to the total as well. 

The computer is calling for 52 combined points, making the Over the value side 58% of the time. See the model's spread and money-line picks at SportsLine.

How to make Troy vs. James Madison picks

In addition to going Under on the total, the model also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Troy vs. James Madison, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that's on a 68-59 run on top-rated CFB picks, and find out.

Why you should trust SportsLine's model

SportsLine's model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. It entered Week 9 on a 68-59 run on all top-rated college football picks at betting sites, returning nearly $400 for $100 players. Anybody following its picks on college football betting sites could have seen strong returns. 

Troy vs. James Madison picks from 10,000 simulations

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