FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals & SWAC Championship Predictions: Top Underdog Bets

FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals & SWAC Championship Predictions: Top Underdog Bets

Welcome to the college football postseason and your FCS Playoffs Week 2 Predictions. I’m a sucker for the little guy. The one who is given little to no chance to compete, let alone to win. It’s because of this that I have scouted picks for you centered around that theme. It’s usually easy to bet on the favorite. It takes skill and guts to bet on the dogs. Plus, it always feels better to win those bets in the end.

Here are two underdog picks that should have you happily cashing when the dust settles. Lines are provided thanks to our friends at PointsBet. If you want more betting action on top of these games make sure you check out PointsBet. There you can find the rest of the FCS games and much more. Plus, like we always do, we’ve got the hook up with a sweet deal. To find out what that is, you’ll just have to click.

FCS Playoffs Week 2 Predictions: Top Underdog Bets

Who: Alabama A&M Bulldogs at Arkansas Pine-Bluff Golden Lions
When: Saturday, May 1st 12PM PDT

The Overview

While the FCS bracket may be the main course this weekend, there is an exciting appetizer happening the day before. On Saturday afternoon, the undefeated Bulldogs and the undefeated Golden Lions meet to decide who will be the champion of the Southwest Athletic Conference. Both are 4-0 on the Spring and both have had several games canceled along the way. Alabama A&M holds a 7-3 lead in the ten game history between the programs.

Junior Quarterback Skyler Perry leads the Golden Lions offense. In four games, he has thrown for just over 1,000-yards and 12 touchdowns. He has three equally dangerous receiving threats at his disposal. Redshirt seniors Josh Wilkes and Tyrin Ralph along with true senior Harry Ballard III have amassed a total of 821 yards and nine touchdowns combined. Defensively, the Golden Lions have accumulated 16 sacks and four interceptions. Senior defensive back Jalon Thigpen has picked off the quarterback four times this season which is the most on the team.

The Bulldogs feature an effective offensive of their own with their senior quarterback Aqueel Glass at the head. Glass has been impressive over his short three game season. He’s thrown for 1,084 yards and 13 touchdowns in that span. He’s also had help from this junior running back Gary Quarles who is averaging around 83 yards per game. Alabama A&M also features three wideouts with solid numbers. They consist of sophomores Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim and Odieu Hilaire along with senior Zabrian Moore. The three combine for 744 yards and ten touchdowns.

This game could be a wild one with plenty of points scored as each team has both scored more than 40 points in a game this season. In the end, home field advantage should play enough of a factor here for the Golden Lions to steal the title game from the Bulldogs. This will be a great start to your FCS Playoffs betting weekend.

The Pick: Arkansas Pine-Bluff +3


Who: North Dakota State Bison at Sam Houston Bearkats
When: Sunday, May 2nd 12PM PDT

The Overview

This game will be a meeting of two Goliaths pitting the undefeated Bearkats against the reigning dynasty that is North Dakota State. Eight out of the last nine seasons the Bison have etched their names on the FCS Championship Series trophy. Two of those opportunities came at the hands of Sam Houston. In the 2011 and 2012 season, the Bison bested the Bearkats to claim the rights as the top program in the league. This season, Sam Houston enters this matchup with a perfect 7-0 record while the Bison are 7-2 on the year.

The Matchup

The loss of Trey Lance has taken a lot of the air out of this program since last season. In fact, the reason this team has been as successful as it has so far in the Spring is due to their running game and their defense. Last week that was on full display as the Bison rushed for an obnoxious 422 yards against Eastern Washington. Running back Dominic Gonnella enjoyed his best outing of the season in that game. The freshman racked up 163 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries in the playoff win against the Eagles. Also making an impact was Jalen Bussey. The redshirt freshman contributed 143 yards to the record-setting rushing effort.

One question heading into this quarterfinal matchup for the Bison is who will be taking the snaps. Zeb Noland started the season for North Dakota State but was replaced by rookie Cam Miller after one series last week. Noland has been largely unproductive in his tenure throwing for only 721 yards this Spring. He’s also on the wrong side of the turnover battle throwing six interceptions and only five touchdowns. Whoever starts will need to put in maximum effort in what is sure to be a slug fest on Sunday.

As for Sam Houston, they will enter this game on the heels of an impressive Spring campaign. They have absolutely laid waste to their opponents outsourcing them 290-120 this season. This includes a 71 point game against Nichols followed by a 62 point outing against Lamar. Very little if anything is slowing the Bearkats’ offense down and the Bison may not have enough firepower to keep pace. Redshirt junior Eric Schmid heads the charge for Sam Houston. The quarterback has thrown for over 2,000 yards this season as well as 14 touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, it will be a study in what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. The Kats’ defense is poised to contain the North Dakota running game as their squad has not allowed their opponents to rush for 100-yards in 15 of their last 19 games. On top of that, no single player has eclipsed 100-yards individually in the last 18 games. They’ll have their hands full this week, but should be up to the task.

We could witness a major upset here as Sam Houston has been on a roll this season. They look powerful enough to topple the defending champions much the way South Dakota State was able to do a couple of weeks ago. Lock this pick in to your FCS Playoffs bets and enjoy the ride.

The Pick: Sam Houston +3


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