Week 6 FCS Spring Football Picks Against the Spread

• Week 6 of the FCS spring football season kicks off on Saturday, March 20th
• Sam Houston visits Lamar after a huge 71-17 win over Nicholls in Week 5
• Read below for the best ATS picks for Week 6 of the FCS spring season

Week 6 of the FCS spring football season has arrived, and there’s some great matchups on tap for the weekend. The packed slate on Saturday, March 20th features numerous games with strong betting value.

Sam Houston aims to build off their monstrous Week 5 offensive showing against Lamar, while North Dakota State and North Dakota clash in a huge rivalry game. Elsewhere in the Missouri Valley Conference, Southern Illinois is an intriguing home underdog against South Dakota State.

Here are three ATS picks to consider for Week 6.

Sam Houston vs Lamar Odds

All odds taken Mar. 16th

Bearkats Offense Torches Lamar

Sam Houston will look to build off their monstrous 71-17 victory over Nicholls when they travel to Lamar to face the Cardinals in Week 6. The Bearkats offense has been electric this season, averaging almost 400 yards per game through the air. They land a favorable matchup against a Lamar secondary that has been torched for over 200 yards by both Nicholls and Incarnate Wood.

The Bearkats are getting some huge performances on both side of the ball, including from QB Eric Schmid and WR Jequez Ezzard. Schmid has thrown for 794 yards and eight touchdowns with only two interceptions this season, while Ezzard is coming off his best outing of the year in which he caught three passes for 139 yards and two TDs. These two should keep the momentum rolling against a Lamar defense that hasn’t held up against strong passing attacks.

Movin' on ⬆️ #EatEmUpKats pic.twitter.com/gI8UY13Msd

— Sam Houston Football (@BearkatsFB) March 15, 2021

Sam Houston may have given up 330 yards of offense to Nicholls last week, but the defense made big plays all game, forcing four fumbles and returning an interception for a TD. The Bearkats have several playmakers on defense, including Jhari Kay, who will make life difficult for Lamar QB Jalen Dummett. The dual-threat pivot was sacked five times last weekend and has only thrown for 255 yards over three games.

The Bearkats offense is firing on all cylinders and should run rampant over one of the most vulnerable secondaries in the Southland. Sam Houston has been one of the nation’s best teams at converting third downs (.586), while the Cardinals haven’t been able to get stops in these situations. If you think the spread might be too much for your liking, consider that LU lost 55-0 earlier in the season to a Nicholls team that SHDU just beat by 54 points.

• Pick: Sam Houston -28.5 (-110)

North Dakota vs North Dakota State Odds

Fighting Hawks Prevail Over Bison

The Bison may be listed as the favorites for this in-state rivalry showdown at the Fargodome in Week 6, but it’s the Fighting Hawks who have really been the best team in North Dakota this season. Bubba Schweigert’s team has taken down Southern Illinois, South Dakota State, Western Illinois and South Dakota this season, covering the spread in three of those games.

NDSU has already picked up a loss at the hands of the Salukis and are only 1-3 ATS this season. The Bison have some questions at quarterback entering this game, after newcomer Cam Miller took over for Zeb Noland in the second half against the Redbirds. Considering Noland has underwhelmed so far for the Bison, the true freshman Miller could be making his first-ever FCS start in this anticipated rivalry game.

Freshman QB Cam Miller (Solon, Iowa) gets the first completion of his career. pic.twitter.com/yDhLlazMPK

— NDSU Football (@NDSUfootball) March 13, 2021

North Dakota oozes more confidence at the QB position with redshirt freshman Tommy Schuster, who has completed 87-of-127 passes for 849 yards and seven TDs with only two interceptions in four starts. He’s coming off a career day against the Leathernecks and has only been sacked once behind an excellent offensive line. Schuster has three 100-yards receivers at his disposal and has shown the poise and level-headedness to thrive in a big-game setting.

North Dakota’s balanced offense is what should win them this game. We saw Southern Illinois exploit this NDSU defense and dominate the possession game. The Fighting Hawks had the ball for over 41 minutes last week and have the weapons to follow a similar game plan. ND’s rush defense is also among the best in the country and should be able to limit Jalen Bussey enough to garner a victory.

• Pick: North Dakota +3.5 (-110)

Southern Illinois vs South Dakota State Odds

Salukis Run Game Dominates South Dakota State

Southern Illinois will look to continues its impressive season when they host South Dakota State as underdogs in Week 6.

The Salukis have bounced back from an ugly season-opening loss against North Dakota with impressive wins over NDSU, Youngstown State and Northern Iowa. The defense in particular was stellar against a solid Panthers offense last week, forcing a couple fumbles and blocking a late field goal attempt.

Another Top 5 win. Come celebrate with us.#WeAreSouthernIllinois pic.twitter.com/PuehcCQ1tR

— Saluki Football (@SIU_Football) March 13, 2021

South Dakota State is also coming off a close victory as they beat Youngstown State 19-17 in Week 5. The Jackrabbits have had some trouble defending the run, as Penguins’ running back Jaleel McLaughlin went off for over 100 yards. The Salukis boast one of the best RB groups in the nation with Javon Williams Jr, Romeir Elliott and Justin Strong and should have a big day against this SDSU rush defense.

Jackrabbits QB Mark Gronowski is only completing 55% of his passes and is turnover-prone with three interceptions on the season. He’ll face a tough test against a stingy Salukis defense that has forced six turnovers and racked up six sacks. Both these teams have strong defenses and weapons in the run game, but Southern Illinois has been the better overall team of late and offers value to cover the number on home turf.

• Pick: Southern Illinois +2.5 (-112)