A pair of Sun Belt teams will face off when the James Madison Dukes travel to Huntington, West Virginia to face the Marshall Thundering Herd at Joan C. Edwards Stadium on Thursday night at 7:00 PM ET with the game airing on ESPN in week 8 of the college football season.

The James Madison Dukes enter this game with a record of 6-0 following a 41-13 win at home against the Georgia Southern Eagles while covering the 5.5-point spread as a home favorite in week 7 of the college football season. The Dukes scored 41 points while compiling a total of 384 yards offensively which included 259 passing yards and 125 rushing yards while allowing 13 points and 368 total yards defensively which included 304 passing yards and 64 rushing yards. Jordan McCloud led the team in passing, completing 20 of 31 attempts for 259 yards and three touchdowns while adding 20 rushing yards. Kaelon Black led the team in rushing with 11 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown while adding three receptions for 38 yards and two touchdowns. Elijah Sarratt led the team in receiving, catching five of eight targets for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Marshall enters this game with a record of 4-2 following a 24-41 loss on the road against the Georgia State Panthers while failing to cover the 2-point spread as a road underdog in week 7 of the college football season. The Thundering Herd scored 24 points while compiling a total of 450 total yards offensively which included 294 passing yards and 156 rushing yards while allowing 41 points and 473 total yards defensively which included 232 passing yards and 241 rushing yards. Cam Fancher led the team in passing, completing 27 of 34 attempts for 294 yards and a touchdown while rushing for nine yards. Rasheen Ali led the team in rushing with 19 carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns while also leading the team in receiving, catching four of five targets for 71 yards and a touchdown.

BookMaker has the James Madison Dukes listed as 3.5-point favorites on the road against the Marshall Thundering Herd on Thursday evening in week 8 of the college football season.  These teams have met only one other time with the meeting taking place last season and resulting in a 26-12 win for the Marshall Thundering Herd while covering the 9.5-point spread as a road underdog. James Madison is 4-2 ATS overall, 2-1 ATS on the road, 3-2 ATS as a favorite, and 3-0 ATS in conference games this season while the Marshall Thundering Herd are 2-4 ATS overall, 1-2 ATS at home, 0-2 ATS as an underdog, and 0-2 ATS in conference games on the year. 

The Marshall Thundering Herd started the season 4-0 but have since lost their last two games while James Madison is looking like the best team in the Sun Belt East this season with a record of 6-0 and will look to remain undefeated when they travel to face Marshall on Thursday. I look for the passing game of the Dukes to be too much for the Thundering Herd to handle at home which is why I am buying the .5 point and taking the James Madison Dukes -3 when they travel to face the James Madison Dukes on Thursday evening.