Upcoming Match-ups

Upset Picks for Week 3 FCS Spring Football

Nick Krueger

by Nick Krueger in College Football

Updated Feb 26, 2021 · 7:13 AM PST

Wofford football coach
Wofford head coach Josh Conklin watches the action during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Clemson Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)
  • Updated odds have been released for this weekend’s slate of FCS football games with a several intriguing underdogs in big matchups
  • Chattanooga looks to get a big win at home against Wofford after missing last week due to COVID complications, and No. 14 North Dakota hopes to keep things rolling against No. 3 South Dakota State.
  • Read below for analysis on how the Mocs and Fighting Hawks could win in upset fashion this weekend

Week 3 of FCS football is on the horizon and the 25-game card features 13 matchups with double-digit favorites. A couple of gems can still be found in the remaining games for those looking to sneak in some action on underdog moneyline winners.

Chattanooga’s only game on the books this season happened last October against Western Kentucky, and the Mocs only lost by a narrow 13-10 margin. They return to action this week against Wofford as 2.5-point underdogs following a bout with COVID within their program.

Meanwhile, North Dakota looks to continue its momentum against No. 3 South Dakota State following a big win against Southern Illinois last weekend. The Fighting Hawks are 7.5-point underdogs, but South Dakota State lost four of their last six games to close out 2019, and opened this season with a tight win over Northern Iowa this spring.

Wofford vs Chattanooga Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Wofford -2.5 (-118) -148 O 44.5 (-106)
Chattanooga +2.5 (-104) +120 U 44.5 (-114)

All odds taken from FanDuel on Feb. 26th

Mocs Return to Field, Look for Revenge

Wofford entered the spring as the coaches pick to win the Southern Conference and cruised to a breezy 31-14 win against Mercer last week at home. The Mocs have returned eight starters on both sides of the ball this season, four of which on offense are along the offensive line.

The Mocs are going to need to lean on sophomore running back Ailym Ford, who ran for 1081 yards in 2019 and had 92 yards against the Hilltoppers in the fall. Mercer didn’t put up a bunch of points on the Terriers last week, but the Bears were able to run the ball and finished with 181 yards on the ground. Chattanooga senior quarterback Drayton Arnold finished with a pedestrian effort against WKU, but the Mocs will try an incorporate him in the rushing attack as well.

Western Kentucky finished with just 3.7 yards per carry against Chattanooga, and the Mocs are going to need to bring more of that toughness up front again on Saturday. Wofford redshirt freshman running back Irvin Mulligan ran for 92 yards on just 11 carries last week, which made things easier for sophomore quarterback Jimmy Weirick.

Chattanooga was able to keep WKU’s passing game in check last time out, and junior defensive lineman Devonnsha Maxwell is going to need to create pressure in Wofford’s backfield to support the Mocs’ secondary.

Wofford won the last game the two played in 2019, when the Mocs failed to get the win on a two-point conversion following an overtime touchdown run by Ford. The Terriers are counting on some young guns in key positions this season, but the veterans on Chattanooga will remember how the last meeting ended, and want to take one back on their home turf.

  • The Pick: Chattanooga Moneyline (+120)

South Dakota State vs North Dakota Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
South Dakota State -7.5 (+102) -300 O 47.5 (-108)
North Dakota +7.5 (-124) +235 U 47.5 (-112)

North Dakota Keeps Things Rolling

Last week, South Dakota State pulled an upset as the No. 5 FCS program in the country when it toppled No. 3 Northern Iowa. Now, the Jackrabbits are in the No. 3 spot, but North Dakota catapulted itself to No. 14 following its big win last week against SIU as an unranked team.

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The Hawks scored four times on five forced turnovers against the Salukis to win 44-21, but are going to need to replicate that sort of performance this weekend against a top opponent. South Dakota State freshman quarterback Mark Gronowski took Missouri Valley Conference top newcomer honors last week following his 194-yard, two touchdown outing against UNI.

UND redshirt freshman quarterback Tommy Schuster didn’t light the world on fire in his season opener, but he did throw three touchdown passes with great starting field position for most of the night.

North Dakota knocked SIU quarterback Kare Lyles out of last week’s game and then proceeded to make things miserable for replacement Nic Baker, who was sacked twice and threw two interceptions. Offensively, five players for North Dakota combined for 241 yards rushing, led by redshirt sophomore Otis Weah, who finished with 91 yards and a touchdown. Northern Iowa only ran the ball 18 times last week with its running backs, and took just 37 yards from those attempts against the Jackrabbits.

This is North Dakota’s first season in the Missouri Valley Conference and under the unique circumstances of this FCS season, there appears to be value in the unfamiliarity with the Hawks. South Dakota State opened the season with a big win and might be feeling itself more than it should with an inexperienced quarterback on the road against a relatively unknown commodity in UND. If the 7.5-point spread creates trepidation for bettors considering the moneyline, taking the Hawks to cover at home is a reasonable option.

The Pick: North Dakota Moneyline (+235)

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