The Sun Belt football odds have moved further toward James Madison. The Dukes beat Georgia State 49-22 on October 17 to reach 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the conference, and DraftKings now lists them at -260 to win the Sun Belt championship, shorter than the -210 of a week ago.
The West is the open half. Louisiana Tech and South Alabama are both 2-0 in conference play, Louisiana is 2-1 after beating Troy 33-6, and the two unbeaten teams meet in Mobile on October 31. Louisiana Tech is the shortest West price at +700; South Alabama, which has not played since October 8, has drifted to +1300.
The ScoresAndStats championship prediction remains James Madison. Below are the current prices, the standings, the Week 7 results and the games that will settle both divisions before the December 4 championship game.
Sun Belt Football Odds and Predictions: Quick Takeaways
- James Madison is 7-0 and 4-0 in the Sun Belt after beating Georgia State 49-22, and its title price shortened from -210 to -260.
- The Dukes visit App State on Thursday, October 22, as 10.5-point favorites.
- Louisiana Tech (2-0) shut out ULM 24-0 and is the West favorite at +700; South Alabama (2-0) is +1300 and plays at Marshall on Tuesday, October 20.
- Louisiana beat Troy 33-6 to reach 2-1 and is +1150; its only conference loss is 32-31 to Louisiana Tech.
- Georgia State fell to 1-1 in the conference and drifted from +1650 to +8400.
Sun Belt Championship Odds: October 20 Prices
Odds last checked: October 20, 2026, 10:53 a.m. ET. These are DraftKings prices as listed by ESPN, not odds issued by ScoresAndStats, and they can change. DraftKings lists 12 of the 14 teams; Old Dominion and ULM are not on its board.
| Team | Championship Odds | Break-Even Probability |
|---|---|---|
| James Madison Dukes | -260 | 72.2% |
| Louisiana Tech Bulldogs | +700 | 12.5% |
| Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns | +1150 | 8.0% |
| South Alabama Jaguars | +1300 | 7.1% |
| App State Mountaineers | +2200 | 4.3% |
| Troy Trojans | +3000 | 3.2% |
| Georgia Southern Eagles | +5500 | 1.8% |
| Arkansas State Red Wolves | +8000 | 1.2% |
| Georgia State Panthers | +8400 | 1.2% |
| Southern Miss Golden Eagles | +22000 | 0.5% |
| Marshall Thundering Herd | +25000 | 0.4% |
| Coastal Carolina Chanticleers | +30000 | 0.3% |
Break-even probability is the chance a team needs for a bet at that price to pay over the long run. It is arithmetic, not a ScoresAndStats estimate, and it includes the bookmaker’s margin: the 12 prices add up to 112.8%. James Madison at -260 needs a 72.2% championship chance; South Alabama at +1300 needs more than 7.1%.
Since the previous edition of this page on October 17, James Madison has shortened from -210, Louisiana Tech from +725 to +700 and Louisiana from +1400 to +1150, while South Alabama has drifted from +1000 to +1300, Troy from +1500 to +3000 and Georgia State from +1650 to +8400.
2026 Sun Belt Standings: East and West
These are ESPN’s standings through all games of October 17, 2026, ordered by conference record; the official Sun Belt standings apply the conference’s tiebreakers. South Alabama at Marshall on October 20 is not included.
East Division Standings
| Team | Conference | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| James Madison | 4-0 | 7-0 |
| Georgia Southern | 2-1 | 3-4 |
| App State | 1-1 | 4-2 |
| Georgia State | 1-1 | 4-2 |
| Coastal Carolina | 1-2 | 2-5 |
| Old Dominion | 1-3 | 2-5 |
| Marshall | 0-2 | 3-3 |
West Division Standings
| Team | Conference | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana Tech | 2-0 | 4-2 |
| South Alabama | 2-0 | 4-2 |
| Louisiana | 2-1 | 5-2 |
| Troy | 1-1 | 3-3 |
| Arkansas State | 1-2 | 3-4 |
| Southern Miss | 0-2 | 1-5 |
| ULM | 0-2 | 0-6 |
Each team plays eight conference games. The East and West winners meet in the Sun Belt Championship Game, with conference record and the conference’s tiebreakers deciding each division.
James Madison already holds head-to-head wins over Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Old Dominion and Marshall, so Georgia Southern and Georgia State would need the Dukes to lose twice. App State, which has not played them, hosts them on Thursday. In the West, Louisiana Tech owns the 32-31 win over Louisiana, Louisiana owns the 33-6 win over Troy, and South Alabama has yet to play any of the three.
Week 7 Results: James Madison Wins the East Showdown
James Madison 49, Georgia State 22
James Madison led 35-10 at halftime in Harrisonburg and finished with 515 yards, 250 of them rushing. George Pettaway ran 14 times for 119 yards and a touchdown, and Camden Coleman completed 13 of 19 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns. The Dukes have now beaten Georgia State in all six meetings, according to the conference’s Week 7 preview, which listed the series at 5-0 before the game.
Georgia Southern 23, Old Dominion 15
Georgia Southern won at Old Dominion on Thursday, October 15. Turner Helton completed 23 of 30 passes for 205 yards with a touchdown and an interception, Anthony Bynum had two sacks, and the Eagles held the Monarchs to 264 yards while recovering two fumbles. Georgia Southern is 2-1 in the East, but its loss was 27-24 to James Madison.
App State 35, Coastal Carolina 32
App State trailed 24-14 at halftime in Conway on Friday, October 16, and scored 21 points in the second half. Jaquari Lewis ran for four touchdowns and Henry Hasselbeck for 125 yards, part of 253 rushing yards for the Mountaineers. They are 1-1 in the conference ahead of Thursday’s visit from James Madison.
Louisiana 33, Troy 6; Louisiana Tech 24, ULM 0; Arkansas State 23, Southern Miss 13
Louisiana ran for 243 yards against Troy and did not turn the ball over. Louisiana Tech shut out ULM in Monroe, with Blake Baker throwing for 178 yards and two touchdowns and Marcus Calwise Jr. catching eight passes for 119 yards. Arkansas State won 23-13 at Southern Miss for its first conference win.
James Madison: 7-0 and Shorter at -260
James Madison has scored 300 points in seven games, 42.9 a game, and allowed 112, or 16.0. Its closest game was the 27-24 win at Georgia Southern on October 10; every other win has come by seven points or more.
The Remaining Road to the Title
Four conference games remain: at App State on October 22, Troy at home on October 29, at Southern Miss on November 5 and Coastal Carolina at home on November 28. The Dukes also play at UConn on November 14, outside the conference. By record, the next two are the hardest of the four: App State and Troy are both 1-1 in the conference.
Is James Madison Worth Betting at -260?
At -260 the Dukes need a 72.2% chance to win the title, which means winning the East and then the championship game against the West winner. The previous edition of this page passed at -210, and the shorter price leaves even less margin for one bad night in a single title game.
ScoresAndStats Betting Takeaway: James Madison is the Sun Belt championship prediction, but -260 is a pass for a new futures bet. The Dukes are the team to beat; the price already says so.
South Alabama: Unbeaten in the West at +1300
South Alabama is 4-2 and 2-0 in the conference after beating ULM 52-35 and Arkansas State 56-49. Its offense scores, but its defense has allowed 207 points in six games, 34.5 a game, including 84 in those two conference wins.
Its schedule is the reason it stays interesting. South Alabama hosts Louisiana Tech on October 31 and Troy on November 14, and travels to Louisiana on November 7. First comes a Tuesday trip to Marshall, where DraftKings lists the Jaguars as 2.5-point favorites with a total of 64.5.
At +1300 South Alabama needs a 7.1% title chance. The price is longer than the +1000 of a week ago, though the Jaguars have not played since; Louisiana Tech and Louisiana both won in the meantime.
ScoresAndStats Betting Takeaway: South Alabama +1300 remains the speculative West play, for a small stake only: it is unbeaten in the conference and hosts Louisiana Tech, but a defense allowing 34.5 points a game is the reason the price is long.
Louisiana Tech, Louisiana and Troy: The West Race
Louisiana Tech (+700) is 2-0 in its first Sun Belt season, with the 32-31 win over Louisiana and the 24-0 shutout at ULM. It hosts Old Dominion on October 24, as a 12.5-point favorite, before the trip to South Alabama on October 31 and another to Troy on November 7. At +700 it needs a 12.5% title chance.
Louisiana (+1150) is 5-2 and 2-1 after the 33-6 win over Troy. Its loss to Louisiana Tech is the tiebreaker that hurts most: it needs Louisiana Tech to finish with a worse conference record than its own. It plays at Southern Miss on October 24 and hosts South Alabama on November 7.
Troy (+3000) fell to 1-1 with the loss at Louisiana, in which it gained 267 yards. Its next four conference games are ULM, at James Madison, Louisiana Tech and at South Alabama, and its price has doubled from +1500 in a week.
Georgia Southern, App State and Georgia State: The East Chasers
Georgia State came to Harrisonburg at 4-1 and left 1-1 in the conference after the 49-22 loss. It plays at Arkansas State on October 24, a 2.5-point favorite, and its price has gone from +1650 to +8400.
Georgia Southern (+5500) is second in the East at 2-1 but lost to James Madison, so it needs the Dukes to lose twice. App State (+2200) is 1-1 and has the most direct route: it hosts James Madison on Thursday, then plays at Georgia Southern on October 31.
Upcoming Sun Belt Games That Could Decide the Title
Kickoff times are Eastern; lines are DraftKings’ as listed by ESPN on October 20.
| Date | Game | Time (ET) and TV | Line | What It Decides |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue., Oct. 20 | South Alabama at Marshall | 7:30 p.m., ESPN2 | South Alabama -2.5, total 64.5 | West leader on the road |
| Thu., Oct. 22 | James Madison at App State | 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | James Madison -10.5, total 56.5 | App State’s last chance in the East |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | ULM at Troy | 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Troy -14.5, total 51.5 | Troy needs a win before JMU |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Louisiana at Southern Miss | 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Louisiana -10, total 52.5 | Louisiana stays in the West race |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Old Dominion at Louisiana Tech | 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Louisiana Tech -12.5, total 46.5 | Louisiana Tech seeks 3-0 |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Georgia State at Arkansas State | 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Georgia State -2.5, total 58.5 | Both need a second win |
| Thu., Oct. 29 | Troy at James Madison | — | JMU’s toughest remaining home game | |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Louisiana Tech at South Alabama | — | The two unbeaten West teams | |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Louisiana Tech at Troy; South Alabama at Louisiana | — | West tiebreakers | |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Troy at South Alabama | — | A possible West decider |
The futures market will move with these results, but not every win counts the same. A win over a direct division rival also settles a tiebreaker, which is why Louisiana Tech at South Alabama matters more than either team’s other October games.
The Sun Belt Championship Game is on Friday, December 4, 2026, hosted by one of the two division champions.
Sun Belt Championship Prediction and Betting Decision
The ScoresAndStats prediction is James Madison to win the 2026 Sun Belt championship. The Dukes are 7-0, have the conference’s best scoring margin, and have already beaten the East teams closest to them.
In the West, South Alabama is the speculative pick because it is unbeaten in the conference and hosts Louisiana Tech and Troy. Louisiana Tech, at a shorter price with the same 2-0 record and the win over Louisiana, is priced shorter for the title; the October 31 game in Mobile settles much of it.
The betting decision stays selective. James Madison at -260 is a pass despite being the pick. South Alabama at +1300 is a small speculative position for bettors who accept the defensive risk. For spreads, totals and moneylines on individual games, visit the ScoresAndStats college football picks and predictions hub.
Sun Belt Football FAQs
Who is favored to win the 2026 Sun Belt football championship?
James Madison is the favorite at -260 at DraftKings (as listed by ESPN, October 20, 2026). The Dukes are 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the conference; at that price a bet needs a 72.2% championship chance to break even.
What is the ScoresAndStats Sun Belt championship prediction?
ScoresAndStats predicts James Madison to win the 2026 Sun Belt title, after a 7-0 start and wins over the East’s closest challengers. The -260 futures price is not a betting recommendation.
Which Sun Belt championship longshot is worth considering?
South Alabama at +1300 is the preferred small-stake speculative alternative. The Jaguars are 2-0 in conference play and host Louisiana Tech and Troy, but their defense has allowed 34.5 points per game.
Who leads the Sun Belt West?
Louisiana Tech and South Alabama are both 2-0 in conference play after Week 7, with Louisiana at 2-1. Louisiana Tech plays at South Alabama on October 31.
When is the 2026 Sun Belt Championship Game?
The 2026 Sun Belt Championship Game is on Friday, December 4, hosted by one of the two division champions.