James Madison vs North Carolina prediction & betting tips - September 21 | College Football Week 4

The Week 4 matchup between James Madison Dukes (2-0) and North Carolina Tar Heels (3-0) will kickoff at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday. Both teams are off to a strong start this year.

James Madison won its first game against Charlotte 30-7 and 13-6 against Gardner-Webb in Week 2. The Dukes are coming off an open week.

The Tar Heels kicked off their season by beating Minnesota 19-17, followed it up with a 38-20 win over Charlotte in Week 2, and won 45-10 last week against NC Central.

James Madison vs North Carolina prediction

This nonconference matchup between James Madison and North Carolina should be a close game between two teams that have played well on defense. The Dukes have held their opponents to 13 points total in two games. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels have held their opponents to 20 points or less in all three games.

While James Madison's defense has done a good job, its offense has struggled a little bit. It performed well in Week 1, scoring 30 points against Charlotte. However, the Dukes only put up 13 points against Gardner-Webb.

Conversely, North Carolina has done a good job overall at generating offense. It had two performances against Charlotte and NC State, scoring 38 points or more. In the other game, the Tar Heels put up 19 points in a tight defensive game against Minnesota.

When looking at these two teams, it is clear that they are both strong defensive teams. However, North Carolina has the edge on offense. The Tar Heels are the betting favorite to win the game, and we are not going to change that for our prediction. We will take North Carolina to beat James Madison on Saturday.

James Madison vs North Carolina betting tips

Tip #1: Bet on James Madison's side of the spread, +10.5 (-111). We are expecting a close game.

Tip #2: Wager on the under for the total of 48.5 points (-109). Both teams are strong defensively, so we are predicting a low-scoring game.

Tip #3: Bet on North Carolina's side of the moneyline (-417).

James Madison vs North Carolina head-to-head

Saturday’s game between James Madison and North Carolina will mark the fourth meeting between the two teams.

North Carolina has won all three of their previous encounters. The Tar Heels had a 37-14 victory in their first matchup in 2007, followed by a 42-10 win in 2011. Their most recent matchup occurred in 2016, with North Carolina winning 56-28.

How to watch James Madison vs North Carolina

This game will be broadcast live on the ACC Network. Fans without cable can stream the game on DirecTV, FuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu and Sling TV.