Hey folks, it’s game day for Week 2 of the 2025 NCAA football season, and we’ve got a solid Friday night slate to kick things off. Four matchups are on tap, including some intriguing FBS battles and a couple of Power 4 teams hosting FCS squads. I’m diving into the details here—starting QBs, standout player stats from Week 1, team strengths on both sides of the ball, weather that could shake things up, recent trends, injuries, free prop picks from reliable spots, and those juicy betting edges. I’ll wrap it up with my top prop bets and a value parlay. All times are ET, and remember, this is early-season stuff, so Week 1 vibes are fresh.
First up at 7:00 PM on ESPN2, we’ve got the James Madison Dukes rolling into Louisville to face the Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Both squads are 1-0 after their openers. For JMU, Alonza Barnett III is under center—he went 14-of-22 for 130 yards and a touchdown pass last week, plus 30 rushing yards and another score on the ground, showing that dual-threat spark. Louisville counters with Tyler Shough, who looked sharp in his debut, throwing for over 250 yards and a couple of touchdowns with solid accuracy and some mobility. Keep an eye on Cardinals’ running back Isaac Brown for his explosive runs and wideout Caullin Lacy as a big-play guy. Offensively, JMU put up around 350 total yards with a balanced attack, including 150 on the ground, while their defense held opponents under 200 yards—but that was against lesser competition. Louisville’s offense is high-powered, cranking out over 450 yards and ranking in the top 20 for scoring at 40-plus points per game early on; their D is mid-tier but improved against the run, allowing just about 100 yards. Weather-wise, it’s mild around 80 degrees at kickoff, cooling to 60 by the end, with 8-10 mph winds and a 55% chance of light showers that could make the grass slick and tilt toward the run or an under. Trends show JMU covering as underdogs in their FBS transition, but this is a step up; Louisville is 4-1 against the spread in home openers. Injury-wise, Louisville’s receiver room is a bit shuffled with TreyShun Hurry starting and Dacari Collins backing up, but no big QB woes, and JMU looks healthy aside from some O-line monitoring. Free projections from sites like Covers have Louisville covering the -14 spread in a high-scoring game, with models like SportsLine’s 10k sims pointing to a 35-21 Cardinals win. Props lean toward Shough over 250.5 passing yards at -115, and Barnett under 200 due to Louisville’s pass rush. Sharp bettors are on Louisville -14 at -110, while the public fades JMU’s jump in class—pros see the talent gap. A plus-money gem: Brown anytime touchdown at +150, given his expected volume against JMU’s front.
Shifting to 7:30 PM on BTN, the Western Illinois Leathernecks, fresh off a 0-1 FCS start, visit the Northwestern Wildcats, who are also 0-1, at Ryan Field in Evanston. WIU’s quarterback, Nathan Lamb or possibly Irvin, struggled in their 52-3 Week 1 loss, going 14-of-29 for 134 yards with no scores. Their running back Marceese Yetts had 59 rush yards, building on prior games with a couple of touchdowns. Northwestern’s Jack Lausch steps in after Mike Wright and others’ issues, but Week 1 was ugly with five turnovers from poor decisions—wideout A.J. Henning could be a deep threat if they clean it up. The Leathernecks managed just 200 total yards offensively and got gashed for over 500 on D. Northwestern’s offense hit around 300 yards but was turnover-heavy with a decent run game; their defense gave up 400 but should dominate FCS level. Expect cool, breezy conditions—64 degrees high, down to 47 at night, with 10-20 mph winds that might mess with passes on the grass field, pushing run-heavy scripts. Northwestern is rebounding from their opener and sits 3-1 ATS against FCS foes, while WIU is just outmatched. Injuries include QB questions for NW post their starter’s woes and thin O-line depth, but nothing major. Models project a 38-10 Wildcats win, with props like Lausch over 225 passing yards at -120 and WIU under 10.5 points. Sharps like NW -28.5 despite public hesitation, and a plus-money play is their first half -17 at +110 for a quick start.
Also at 7:30 PM on BTN, the Northern Illinois Huskies (1-0) head to Maryland to take on the Terrapins (1-0) at SECU Stadium. NIU’s Josh Holst had a gritty but low-yardage Week 1 win, needing better efficiency. Maryland’s Billy Edwards Jr. or Malik Washington shone with 253 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout; running back Roman Hemby brings that power on the ground. Huskies balanced out to 350 yards offensively and held foes to 250 on D. Maryland exploded for over 400 yards with a top passing game, and their run defense is stout. Weather’s warm at 88 degrees day, 69 at night, mostly sunny with light winds on grass—no big disruptions. NIU loves those “boneyard” upsets, but Maryland is 4-1 ATS at home; both started 1-0. Injuries are minor—NIU’s Chavon Wright is good, Maryland’s healthy. Sims favor a 34-17 Terps win, with Edwards over 250 passing yards at -115 and NIU under 150 rushing. Sharps back Maryland -17, and Hemby over 75.5 rush yards at +120 looks tasty against NIU’s run D.
Wrapping the night at 9:00 PM on FS1, the Eastern Washington Eagles (0-1 FCS) visit the Boise State Broncos (0-1) at Albertsons Stadium. EWU’s Jared Taylor threw for 183 yards and a rushing touchdown in their loss but had turnovers. Boise’s Maddux Madsen was solid around 200 yards, but running back Ashton Jeanty stole the show with over 150 all-purpose yards. Eagles aired it out for 300 yards but surrendered over 500 on D. Boise State’s potent with 400 yards and an elite run game; their D tops the MWC. Mild weather at 84 degrees day, 67 night, clear with light winds on the blue turf—prime for points. Boise rebounds strong, 5-1 ATS vs. FCS; EWU’s 0-1. Injuries minor—Boise’s Isaiah Perez is active. Models say 45-17 Broncos, with Jeanty over 125 rush yards at -120 and Taylor under 200 passing. Sharps hit the over 58.5, and Jeanty anytime TD at +150 is a volume-based winner.
Pulling it all together, the data screams home favorites bouncing back, with mild weather boosting overs in spots. Sharp action targets those mismatches for edges on passing and rushing props.
My two best prop bets: First, Tyler Shough over 250.5 passing yards at -115 in the JMU-Louisville tilt—his Week 1 efficiency pairs perfectly with JMU’s secondary issues, projecting 275-plus in a blowout, with a 15% edge from sims. Second, Ashton Jeanty over 125.5 rushing yards at -120 against EWU—their weak run D gave up 200-plus last week, and models hit the over in 65% of runs.
For a value parlay, go with this 3-legger at +450: Louisville -14, Maryland over 49.5, and Boise State first half -17. Home dominance, scoring-friendly weather, and sharp money give it a 20% edge—a $100 bet nets $450.
That’s the scoop for Friday—bet wisely and catch you for more Week 2 breakdowns!
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