FCS Football Betting: Weekly Odds and Game Picks (3/6)
As Week 4 of the FCS spring season rounds into view, a quick look back at what was a wild Week 3.
Atop the storylines is the loss of the previously 39-game winning North Dakota State at the hands of Southern Illinois. In a game that was never close, the Salukis dismantled the Bison 38-14, running away with it early.
With the loss and 10 other ranked teams losing, the FCS ranks are as wide open as they’ve been in years, with this coming week’s action promising some further movement. Let’s take a closer look.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Saturday
Illinois State vs. Northern Iowa (-8.5, O/U 36.5)
The previously #7 ranked Illinois State Redbirds will get back to work this week following a Week 3 to unranked South Dakota. In the loss, the offense failed to get much of anything going in the second half, scoring just three points over the final 30 minutes after starting the game with a 17-0 lead.
For the #3 Northern Iowa Panthers, a field goal would’ve been enough to win as their defense held Youngstown State to zero points and just 135 yards of total offense. Junior quarterback Will McElvain threw for 183 yards on the day, largely playing game manager in a game that was rarely contested.
For the Redbirds, the loss of their starting running back and quarterback since last year proved to be more costly than expected as they re-took the field last week. Against a Northern Iowa team boasting one of the best defenses in all of FCS, I expect a similarly low-scoring game from the Redbirds with only a touchdown or two from the Panthers needed.
Pick: Northern Iowa -8.5
James Madison vs. Elon (+21.5, O/U 47.5)
With the loss from North Dakota State, James Madison moved into the #1 spot in FCS following their 36-16 win over Robert Morris in Week 3. After heading into the half tied at 16, the Dukes pulled away late to secure the win over their CAA foe.
For Elon Phoenix, a Week 2 win was followed up with a dud last week, losing 20-42 to Gardner-Webb. After taking a 20-7 lead into the half, Elon allowed 35 points over the final 30 minutes and failed to find the end zone after the first quarter.
Despite the slow starts from both teams being a theme to this point in the season, points have hardly been an issue when looking at their games in totality. Over the four combined games they’ve played, the average total there’s been an average of 53.75 points scored.
With two games under the belt of each, I like both offenses to have their best outings of the season and for this game to sail well into the 50s.
Pick: Over 47.5
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TJ Perun is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from TJ, check out his archive and follow him @JohnnyCovers.