By Darren Cooper in College Football
Published:
Ninth-seeded Rhode Island (11-2; 7-6 ATS) makes the almost 3,000-mile trek to California to face eighth-seeded UC Davis (8-3; 5-6 ATS) in the FCS Playoffs second round.
The Rams have won seven games in a row, with the closest game in that stretch being eight points. This is the 25th playoff appearance for the Aggies, who had a first-round bye.
Say hello to my Rhode Island vs UC Davis prediction, including tips on the spread and how to watch this history-making FCS Playoffs second round game.
I’m taking the points in this Rhode Island vs UC Davis prediction because this projects as an even matchup. I give Rhode Island a slight edge defensively. The Rams have allowed just 19 points a game, compared to the Aggies’ 29.5, which is only seventh in the Big Sky.
Offensively, both teams have fun quarterbacks. Rhode Island QB Devin Farrell (a Va Tech transfer) has thrown for 3,425 yards and 22 scores. The Aggies rely on Big Sky Freshman of the Year Caden Pinnick, who has thrown for 2,527 and 25 scores. Pinnick is your typical dual-threat QB with 104 carries this season.
UC Davis running back Jordan Fisher was fourth in the Big Sky with 925 yards on the ground, and watch out for Harvard transfer Jacob Psyk for the Aggies. He led the Ivy League in sacks last year and leads the Big Sky with nine.
Meanwhile, Rhode Island running back Antwain Littleton Jr. has 1,125 yards for the Rams. Like I said, even matchup.
Rhode Island lost to Mercer in last year’s second round 17-10. So this is classic East Coast vs. West Coast football. It’s a 45-hour drive from one campus to the other. UC Davis was a Division II power for a long time before shifting to the FCS in 2007.
Odds as of Saturday morning from college football betting apps. Check out the best online sportsbook to bet on FCS Playoffs action.
FanDuel and Fanatics Sportsbook each have slightly different lines on this one (not every major sportsbook posts FCS lines). Both have UC Davis as 6.5-point favorites in the Rhode Island vs UC Davis spread, but there’s better value on the favorite at FanDuel (-108 to -110) than there is at Fanatics.
Fanatics is slightly better on the moneyline for both. They have Rhode Island +170 and UC Davis -205. Fanatics has the total at 57, while FanDuel has it at 57.5. Always go with the half-point—who wants a push?
Rhode Island is 7-3 over/under this season, while four of the last five Aggie games have hit the under. UC Davis is 2-3 in its last five against the spread.
So much of this matchup is about the conferences. UC Davis plays in the Big Sky, probably the best FCS conference in the country. Rhode Island plays in the CAA and went 8-0 in the conference this season, but didn’t play second-place Villanova.
This is a big deal for UC Davis in that it’s the first linear broadcast of an Aggie playoff game ever on ESPN. The game will be on ESPN2 with kickoff at 10 p.m. ET. This FCS Playoffs second round game should kick off right around halftime of the ACC and Big Ten title games and will probably be the last game of the day.
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Darren has been covering the world of sports since 1998. His grandfather had a special 'system' to bet on the ponies, but the secrets of that system have been lost to time. He loves betting the under, thinks homefield advantage is worth more than 3 points nowadays and always stays within his means.
Updated: 23 minutes ago
