Week 2 of college football kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on Friday night on ESPN2 with a battle between the James Madison Dukes and the Louisville Cardinals. Both teams picked up victories during the opening week and are eyeing a 2-0 start.
Below, we'll give you our James Madison vs. Lousville prediction and picks to target on PrizePicks tonight in one of only two FBS vs. FBS games on Friday's slate.
🏈 Play $5, Get $50 INSTANTLY in Lineups for your CFB picks. Use Promo Code: PLAYBOOK
James Madison vs. Louisville Prediction, Preview for 9/5/25
The Dukes are expected to compete for the Sun Belt championship after finishing 9-3 last season.
James Madison’s biggest non-conference game of the season comes against Louisville, as the Cardinals defeated the Dukes in 2022 at home, 34-10.
James Madison Dukes
JMU crushed Weber State in their opener, 45-10, with the Dukes jumping out to a 28-0 second quarter lead. The Dukes ran all over the Wildcats with 313 yards on the ground, led by RB George Pettaway’s 99.
Last season, James Madison split six road games, although their signature victory came against another ACC team, a 70-50 triumph at North Carolina. It marked the second straight season the Dukes beat an ACC squad, knocking off Virginia back in 2023.
Louisville Cardinals
The Cardinals went 9-4 last season, capped off by a Sun Bowl victory over Washington. They improved to 20-8 since Jeff Brohm took over as head coach, as the Cardinals routed Eastern Kentucky last week, 51-17.
All five home non-conference victories under Brohm have come by double-digits, including four by over 34 points.
The Cardinals are led by transfer QB Miller Moss, who looks to shake off a rough season at USC.
James Madison vs. Louisville Picks & CFB DFS
Louisville QB Miller Moss Projection: 251.5 Passing Yards
Moss finished with an unspectacular 5-5 record as the starting quarterback at USC before transferring to Louisville. The senior threw for 2,555 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2024, but couldn’t push the Trojans over the top in their first season in the Big Ten.
In his Cardinals’ debut, Moss compiled 223 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT’s, as Louisville built a commanding 41-0 lead in the second quarter against Eastern Kentucky.
Moss eclipsed 280 passing yards in six games last season with USC. He faces a JMU defense that limited opposing QB’s to less than 250 passing yards in 11 of 13 games in 2024.
James Madison QB Alonza Barnett Projection: 182.5 Passing Yards
Barnett passed this yardage projection in nine of 12 games during his sophomore season. His best performance came against North Carolina, when he torched the Tar Heels for 388 yards and 5 TD’s.
In all six road games during his first season as starter, Barnett threw for at least 183 yards.
In the opener against Weber State, the signal caller dropped just 130 yards, his lowest output since becoming James Madison's starting QB.
Louisville WR Chris Bell Projection: 65.5 Receiving Yards
Bell finished second on Louisville in receiving yards last season with 737. He picked up a team-high 63 yards on 5 receptions in the victory over Eastern Kentucky.
Last season, Bell compiled consecutive 100-plus yard receiving performances in November games against Stanford and Pittsburgh. The native of Yazoo, Mississippi began his junior season finishing with less than 65 receiving yards in seven of nine games before busting out for those two huge showcases.
James Madison allowed 12 receivers to eclipse 66 yards last season, so this number could be within reach for Bell.
Make CFB Picks on PrizePicks
James Madison seeks a road win in Louisville over an ACC foe for a third straight season. The Cardinals look to avoid the upset before heading into the bye week.
There’s never been a better time to add to the excitement of every college football moment than with PrizePicks.
With a wide variety of player stat projections on the college football board, you can build your Lineup however you’d like — with no salary or positional restrictions. Just pick at least two player stat projections to build your Lineup on PrizePicks.
Check out the Playbook throughout the remainder of the CFB season for more analysis for your PrizePicks and CFB DFS Lineups.
