Kentucky vs. James Madison prediction, odds: 2026 college basketball picks for Nov. 6 by proven model

Kentucky will host James Madison on Friday night at Rupp Arena, looking to stay unbeaten after a dominant 85-57 win over Manhattan on Tuesday. No. 23 Kentucky (1-0) got 24 points from Milan Momcilovic in their opener and enter as substantial favorites against a Dukes team off to a 0-1 start after falling to Miami (OH) 86-77. James Madison forward Paul Jones III leads the Dukes with 14.0 points per game, but the Wildcats bring depth and home-court advantage in what projects to be a lopsided non-conference affair in Lexington. Visit our Kalshi promo code review and get a $55 bonus after $25+ in trades with the Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55:

Tipoff from Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington is at 7 p.m. ET. Kentucky is a 24.5-point favorite in the latest Kentucky vs. James Madison odds, while the over/under is 156.5. Before making any Kentucky vs. James Madison picks, check out the James Madison vs. Kentucky predictions from the SportsLine projection model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2026-27 season on a sizzling 11-1 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks on betting sites dating back to 2025, and is on a 28-22 run on top-rated CBB side picks. Anybody following on college basketball betting sites has seen strong returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on James Madison vs. Kentucky and just revealed its betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for James Madison vs. Kentucky:

James Madison vs. Kentucky spread:    

Kentucky -24.5

James Madison vs. Kentucky over/under:    

156.5 points

James Madison vs. Kentucky money line:

Kentucky -9091, James Madison +3500

James Madison vs. Kentucky picks:    

James Madison vs. Kentucky streaming:

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Top James Madison vs. Kentucky predictions

After evaluating James Madison vs. Kentucky from every angle, the model is going Under on the total (156.5 points) on the best betting apps. The model projects five Kentucky players to score in double figures. It says Alex Wilkins will lead the team with more than 20 points, while Milan Momcilovic is projected to add more than 16, Zoom Diallo more than 15, Justin McBride more than 13 and Jerone Morton more than 11. 

James Madison has three players projected to reach double figures, Gage Lattimore with more than 13, Cavan Reilly with more than 10 and Adrian Myers with more than 10. The Kentucky Wildcats went Under the total in the first game of the season.

The model has the Under hitting 52% of the time. See the James Madison vs. Kentucky spread pick at SportsLine.

How to make James Madison vs. Kentucky picks

In addition to going Under, the model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of simulations. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. 

So who wins James Madison vs. Kentucky, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the James Madison vs. Kentucky spread to back, all from the model on an 11-1 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to 2025, and find out. 

 

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