It’s time to jump back into some FCS action! Three weeks in a row, my top FCS bets have only had one miss. We were 4-1 in Week 0, 4-1 in Week 1, and 5-1 in Week 2. I was hoping for a sweep last week. However, we’ll take a 13-3 overall record. Does it make me slightly nervous about natural regression? Of course! However, that won’t stop me from making more picks! Let’s take a look at my FCS Week 3 picks and best bets and continue to cash! Remember, these games typically have less action. Therefore, the lines can move quickly!
FCS Week 3 Picks And Best Bets
Dartmouth @ Lehigh (-16.5)
Saturday, September 19th, 9:00 AM Pacific / 12:00 PM Eastern
The first game we’re looking at is a little bit of going back to the well. Lehigh dominated last week, and we’re looking for them to do so again. They’re the most complete team in the East right now, and the big number doesn’t scare me. They’re 3-0 after a 44-20 win over the then Number 16 William and Mary.
Lehigh has covered three times in a row, and I expect a fourth. Luke Yoder has 419 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns, with three scores in every single game. That kind of production travels, and it is even better at home.
Dartmouth opens its season on the road against a Patriot League roster that has already been tested. Ivy teams often look rusty in September, especially away from campus. Lehigh does not have that problem.
Family Weekend at Goodman Stadium should help Lehigh start fast. Then they’ll keep feeding Yoder. This feels like a 40-17 type game. Sixteen-and-a-half points is a big number, but Lehigh has earned the right to take it. Dartmouth may be able to steal a drive or two. However, they cannot match this pace for four quarters.
FCS Week 3 Best Bet: Lehigh -16.5
Harvard (-16.5) @ New Hampshire
Saturday, September 19th, 10:00 AM Pacific / 1:00 PM Eastern
This is the value side among the FCS Week 3 picks, because Harvard is being priced like a finished product. The Crimson are 0-0 and opening on the road with a new quarterback after Jaden Craig left for TCU. That change matters in Week 3, especially against a CAA defense that has already played three games. New Hampshire is 1-2 after losses to Syracuse and Albany, but those snaps knocked the rust off.
We don’t need the Wildcats to win this game. They just have to keep Harvard out of explosion plays and force a first-start quarterback to make some mistakes. The last meeting finished 28-23. It wasn’t a three-score beatdown as this line suggests. This feels like a touchdown game either way to me, and 16.5-points leaves too much room for the home team.
FCS Week 3 Best Bet: New Hampshire +16.5
Cornell @ Colgate (-13.5)
Saturday, September 19th, 10:00 AM Pacific / 1:00 PM Eastern
As it turns out, Colgate isn’t just a toothpaste. It’s also a school. A school with a decent football program that is already battle-tested. Cornell is not battle-tested. The Raiders put 35 points on Holy Cross and have a very solid running game with Danny Shaban.
Meanwhile, Cornell is 0-0 and opening on the road in a place that plays faster than most Ivy openers. That gap matters more than the brand names on the helmets. Colgate has more depth and the home-field advantage at Andy Kerr Stadium.
Cornell could keep this respectable if they win the line of scrimmage for a half. However, I don’t think they can do that for a full 60 minutes. Home favorites in September usually cash this kind of number against an untested visitor. I want the team that’s already been hit and has already hit somebody else.
FCS Week 3 Best Bet: Colgate (-13.5)
Yale (-19.5) @ Holy Cross
Saturday, September 19th, 11:00 AM Pacific / 2:00 PM Eastern
Holy Cross is broken, and the first three weeks have already made that clear. The Crusaders are 0-3 after losses to Lehigh, Colgate, and Miami (OH). They have scored 27 points and allowed 115 total, which is not the profile of a home dog ready to flip a ranked Ivy roster.
Yale is 19th ranked and opening against an FCS team that has already been exposed twice by league competition. The Ivy schools do normally start slower, especially when their opponents have already played. However, this one feels different.
The Bulldogs don’t need a masterpiece here. They just need to stay organized and finish drives. Holy Cross has not stopped the run and has not shown enough offense to keep a 20-point game. Fitton Field can help them for a quarter. However, it can’t hide a three-game scoring drought. I like Yale to win this one in the 35-13 range. The only cover risk is an ugly, low-possession opener for Yale. Even then, Holy Cross has not shown enough punch to steal this number from them.
FCS Week 3 Best Bet: Yale -19.5
Rhode Island (-14.5) @ Stony Brook
Saturday, September 19th, 11:30 AM Pacific / 2:30 PM Eastern
Rhode Island is the better CAA team, and that should show on Saturday. The Rams are 2-1 after a 31-10 win over Elon and a respectable loss at Temple. Stony Brook is 1-2 and has not looked like a roster that can hang with a ranked visitor for 60 minutes. URI has more stability at quarterback and a cleaner path to scoring 28 points.
14.5-points on the road isn’t something I love. Conference games can get sticky when the home team shortens the script, and that is Stony Brook’s only real hope. If this turns into a possession game, the spread gets uncomfortable.
However, I still think Rhode Island is a tier above and will win by more than two scores. Something in the 31-14 range feels right. The Rams have already seen better competition than the Seawolves, and that usually shows up after halftime in CAA play. That’s why this remains one of my favorite FCS Week 3 bets on the board.
FCS Week 3 Best Bet: Rhode Island -14.5
