College Football Friday Best Bets: James Madison vs. Louisville, NIU vs. Maryland Picks

Going into Week 2 of the college football season, most of the action will take place on Saturday, leaving Friday’s slate relatively light. Even with a smaller board, two matchups stand out, including an under-the-radar clash between James Madison and Louisville.

James Madison (1-0) at Louisville (1-0)

Line: Louisville -14.5 | Total: 57.5

The score from last week doesn’t show it, but Louisville looked unimpressive in its opener against a weak Eastern Kentucky squad.

Miller Moss, the fifth-year senior transfer from USC, threw two interceptions in his first start for the Cardinals. He was inconsistent in Los Angeles, but still a solid transfer pickup. The issue here is the supporting cast: Moss doesn’t have the same level of talent around him at Louisville as he did at USC, where his receivers bailed him out more often than not.

James Madison, on the other hand, looks like a team to watch. The Dukes had four different players rush for touchdowns in their Week 1 tune-up against Weber State, and they also bring two different quarterbacks to the table. UNLV transfer Matthew Sluka saw snaps, but Alonza Barnett III got the bulk of the reps under center.

This one has shootout potential. Louisville may not be able to pull away, and JMU is more than capable of hanging around. I like the Dukes to cover — maybe even flirt with the upset — and the over to hit.

Picks: James Madison +14.5 and Over 57.5

Northern Illinois (1-0) at Maryland (1-0)

Line: Maryland -18.5 | Total: 47.5

In Week 1, unders were the play, but this week feels more like an “over” card.

That said, most of the points in this game will need to come from Maryland. Fortunately, the Terps have an emerging star in freshman quarterback Malik Washington, who threw for three touchdowns in his debut against FAU. He should have an even bigger day against a shaky NIU squad.

The Huskies were underwhelming in their opener against FCS Holy Cross, relying mostly on kicker Andrew Glass, with their only touchdown coming on a fourth-quarter kickoff return. That type of performance might fly in the MAC, but not against a Big Ten defense.

Northern Illinois was a respectable MAC team last season and is set to join the Mountain West as a football-only member next year, so improvement is necessary. But this matchup feels lopsided. Maryland should cruise here, and the over could hit if the Terps light up the scoreboard on their own.

Pick: Maryland -18.5
Lean: Over 47.5

2025 Record:

• Picks: 4-2
• Leans: 1-3