College football early Week 2 betting: Notes for James Madison vs. Louisville, Northern Illinois vs. Maryland

We head into Week 2 of the college football season this week, and while all eyes are on Saturday's loaded schedule, there are also some early games on Friday as James Madison visits Louisville and Maryland takes on Northern Illinois. Bruce Marshall, longtime executive editor of The Gold Sheet and a SportsLine college football expert, breaks down the first two games of the Week 2 schedule. All four of these squads won last week, but tougher tests may await on Friday. Interested in college football betting? You can benefit greatly from Marshall's insights, as he entered Week 1 64-43-3 (+1624) in his last 110 college football picks. Here's the information he's working with for Friday's games.

James Madison at Louisville (9/5, 7 p.m. ET)

This should be a litmus test of sorts for the Dukes, who enter 2025 with high hopes in the Sun Belt conference and could warrant consideration as a potential Group of Five representative in the College Football Playoff. Unlike Liberty from two years ago, which parlayed a soft slate in Conference USA and a forgiving non-league schedule to an unbeaten mark and a ticket to the Fiesta Bowl (where Oregon ended the party), the Dukes are taking on a legit playoff aspirant from the Power 4.   

James Madison no doubt was pleased with QB Alonza Barnett III, who suffered an ACL tear in the final regular season game against Marshall last November, who looked no worse for wear after getting the starting nod last Saturday against Weber State. Barnett threw a touchdown pass and ran for another while while UNLV transfer Matthew Sluka, who had previously played under JMU head coach Bon Chesney at Holy Cross, also had two touchdowns in the 45-10 romp. Chesney will likely continues to use both QBs until further notice as JMU seeks a seventh straight cover against non-conference opposition.

Whether that will be enough to keep pace with what looks a runaway Louisville team remains to be seen. Several ACC sources pegged Jeff Brohm's Cardinals as a conference title threat, reckoning Louisville could easily have done better than 9-4 last season (within one score in each gnawing loss). Brohm shouldn't skip a beat at QB with USC transfer Miller Moss replacing Tyler Shough (now with the New Orleans Saints). Moss looked good enough in his Cards debut, passing for 223 yards last week vs. EKU, and had Louisville pegged to a 41-7 halftime lead before Brohm called off the dogs in the second half. The skill-position weaponry many believe to be the best in ACC also hit the ground running, with RB Isaac Brown scoring on a pair of long TDs and Caullin Lacy returning a punt for a score among the various big plays.

JMU's defense figures to get stretched on Friday night, and both of Chesney's QBs will have to be on point to keep the Dukes within earshot. It won't be easy.

Northern Illinois at Maryland (9/5, 7:30 p.m. ET)

We've seen Mike Locksley's Terrapins start out hot a few times over the last few years before faltering once conference play begins. To that end, Maryland beat FAU 39-7 to open the year, but is it really business as usual at College Park?

We haven't had this much buzz around a Maryland QB since Boomer Esiason, as freshman Malik Washington recovered from a brief slow start against the Owls to complete 24 of his last 32 passes. Washington looked more upperclassman than freshman, and he played a big part in the blowout win over FAU. The Owls were certainly their own worst enemy with six giveaways, credit Maryland's defense for being hungry and entering Week 2 No. 1 in the nation in turnover margin at +6. This from a platoon full of portal adds (just one returning starter) with a new DC in Ted Monachino, who has spent most of the past decade in the NFL. 

Be careful, however, as there might be danger in assuming that the visiting Huskies won't offer much more resistance than FAU, especially after NIU was pushed to the limit by FCS Holy Cross in a 19-17 escape last weekend. The offense admittedly has to be better, especially sophomore QB Josh Holst, who passed for just 101 yards in the opener. That being said, head coach Michael Hammock always preaches a run-heavy look and the Huskies stayed in character with a near 2:1 run/pass ratio last week. NIU also never shies from Power 4 tests, famously beating Notre Dame last year in South Bend and staying close at NC State. Hammock also has a long history of success as an underdog (14-6-1 since 2021).  

The betting markets seem to have reacted somewhat to last week's results, pushing this spread into the high teens, but history suggests real risks of selling Hammock's Huskies short.