2024 Boca Raton Bowl Lines - WKU vs. James Madison

Boca Raton Bowl Lines - WKU vs. James Madison Odds

Under the leadership of head coach Tyson Helton, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are going to a bowl game for the sixth consecutive year. Meanwhile, first-year head coach Bob Chesney is leading the James Madison Dukes to a bowl game for the second consecutive year in a program now in its third season as an FBS program. Western Kentucky and James Madison will clash in the Boca Raton Bowl from FAU Stadium, home of the Owls, in Boca Raton, FL. Current Indiana coach Curt Cignetti exceptionally built James Madison.

2024 Boca Raton Bowl at a Glance

Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Time (ET) / TV: 5:30 PM / ESPN

Venue: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida

Matchup: WKU Hilltoppers vs. James Madison Dukes

College Football Betting Lines

WKU Hilltoppers +9.5

James Madison Dukes -9.5

Over/Under: 52.5

Boca Raton Bowl Preview

Last game, the James Madison Dukes lost 35-33 to the Marshall Thundering Herd as 3.5-point home favorites. The game went over a total of 52.5. James Madison has a record of 8-4 straight up, 6-6 against the spread, and 4-8 over/under the total. James Madison ranks 49th for total offense, 79th for passing, 30th for rushing, and 24th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 25th overall, 37th against the pass, 33rd against the rush, and 27th for points allowed. Also, James Madison ranks 13th for fewest turnovers lost and 7th for takeaways.

Last game, the WKU Hilltoppers lost 52-19 against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks as 4-point road dogs. The game went over the total of 59.5. WKU has a record of 8-5 straight up, 7-5 against the spread, and 5-7 over/under the total. WKU ranks 76th for total offense, 32nd for passing, 109th for rushing, and 88th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 95th overall, 11th against the pass, 130th against the rush, and 65th for points allowed. Also, WKU ranks 107th for fewest turnovers lost and 62nd for takeaways.

Boca Raton Bowl Prediction

As mentioned earlier, James Madison has superior metrics on both sides of the line.

Boca Raton Bowl Format

Founded in 2015, the Boca Raton Bowl is played at Florida Atlantic University Stadium, home of the FAU Owls. The Conference tie-ins include CUSA, The American, MAC, Mountain West, and Sun Belt. The payout is $900,000.

Boca Raton Bowl Past Results

The Boca Raton Bowl is where BYU quarterback Zach Wilson became the second-ranked quarterback for the NFL Draft. In the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl, Wilson was 26-34 passing, good for 425 yards and three touchdowns. Subsequently, Wilson was the second player taken in the 2021 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, following Trevor Lawrence of Clemson. This bowl game is known for a lot of offense and exciting shootouts.

In 2022, Toledo beat Liberty 21-19, holding after taking a 21-7 lead. Liberty failed on a 2-point conversion with 3:40 to play, falling just short of forcing overtime. Jacquez Stuart ran for 111 yards to lead Toledo. Dequan Finn threw for 133 yards and a TD to pace the Rockets. Finn was the game’s MVP.

In 2023, — Byrum Brown threw three touchdown passes and became the second USF quarterback with 4,000 total yards in a season, leading the Bulls to a 45-0 rout of undermanned Syracuse. Brown, a redshirt freshman, closed out his outstanding season with 4,101 total yards. Quinton Flowers had 4,339 for the Bulls in 2016. USF finished above .500 for the first time since 2018. The shutout was the Bulls' first since 2009 against Charleston Southern.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin helped rehabilitate his once-lost career by leading Florida Atlantic to two Boca Raton bowls as CUSA champion. It also helped that the game is played on FAU’s home field. Kiffin did not coach in the 2019 edition, having left for Ole Miss, but the Owls were definitely his team.

2024-25 College Football Bowl Games

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